Having Coffee With Steve Rogers
by koolgirl1120
Summary: Having finally gotten together, Steve and Tania are going through all the hardships that couples must face, with a bit more complexity seeing as they live with the other Avengers as well. Tension rises, but when they discover Stark's time machine, things may just get infinitely more complicated. Especially when they realize that they've gone back in time to 1945. Sequel to SAACSWCA
1. Chapter 1

**A/N. Hello everyone! I'm baack! So, here's the first chapter of the sequel to Sitting At A Coffee Shop With Captain America. This is now going to officially be called the Coffee With You series because it's much shorter :P SOrry this chapter's so short btw, I wasn't really feeling it this week. I'm sure that will change tho. Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not own the Avengers or anything or anyone else familiar to the MARVEL universe. Tania is my OC, and this plotline belongs to me.**

**Chapter 1**

There was a flash of bright light that blinded her momentarily. But when the spots were gone her smile was still plastered on her face, her arm still around his waist. She prayed that she hadn't blinked. She leaned over towards his ear and grinned for the cameras while she whispered.

"Steve, are you sure about this?"

He squeezed her waist affectionately in response and nodded to one of the cameraman as they took another photo. "No." he replied honestly, whispering through gritted teeth. "But it was bound to happen." They were blinded yet again and barely had a second to recuperate before the next one came. "How long do we have to this?"

She shrugged. "Don't look at me, you're the famous one."

"Tania-"

"It's Tony Stark!" someone shouted, and soon everyone's attention was diverted from the newest power couple of Manhattan and they both breathed sighs of relief.

Having just publicly introduced their relationship, on a red carpet no less, Tania and Steve were emotionally drained. They were glad when Tony's black stretch limo pulled up just a few feet away. It gave them time to breathe.

Happy jumped out the driver's side of the vehicle and ran around to open the door for the occupants. Tony stepped out first, wearing sunglasses at such a time of night. At first, Steve thought he was either stupid or drunk, but the cameras flashed and he waved, unaffected, he suddenly wished that he had a pair as well.

Pepper appeared next, taking her boyfriend's offered hand and addressed the paparazzi politely and with dignity. They held hands as they walked and Happy shut the door behind them, heading back for the steering wheel.

The newest arrivals were bombarded by interviewers and reporters, so Steve and Tania turned and finally entered the hotel. Once they stepped inside it was one giant ballroom cleaned and shined immaculately to Pepper's preferences. It was perfectly round and bright and the floor looked like it was made for dancing.

Hundreds of people milled about, drinking, eating, chatting, dancing sophisticatedly had they been taught how to do so. It was a black tie event, so everyone was dressed to the utmost glamour – even the Avengers.

Steve was dressed in a black Armani suit with a white shirt underneath and no tie. Tania wore a dress for the first time in a long while. It was a light pink that fell to her ankles with a slit up the side to just above the knee. It was one-shouldered and glittery and was probably the girliest thing she had ever worn, including her prom dress. She had been against it at first, but Pepper had somehow convinced her into buying it and now here she was.

She couldn't deny that the colour looked really good on her, as did the dress itself, but pink still irked her to some degree. But she figured she could ignore it for one night.

Her hair had been done up and a complicated up-do similar to the one she had made for Pepper at the party Tony had first thrown her. Her makeup was minimal but present none the less. She wore a silver chained necklace, a silver bead bracelet and the ring she always wore that she twisted around her finger should she get nervous.

When Steve had seen her he had been breathless and thanked the Lord that he had managed to have her be his. And now they entered the party arm in arm, and headed straight for the buffet table of fancy food neither of them had ever heard of and probably couldn't pronounce.

Tania grabbed the first thing she saw and popped it into her mouth. Steve hesitantly did the same. After a few minutes of conversing, Steve swallowed nervously and held out his hand.

"Would you… like to dance?" he asked hesitantly. Tania stared at his hand blankly for a second. After their little lesson in the gym the day they made up from their fight, they hadn't really tried again. Dancing was something extremely symbolic to the two of them. It meant that Steve had finally found the right partner, and that it wasn't Peggy. To do it in public would only further cement their newly found relationship.

Tania smiled and slid her hand into his. "Of course. You could use the practice."

He laughed lightly and led her onto the dance floor where they spent the next half hour, happily swaying to the music as she taught him more and more steps.

The sound of someone tapping a spoon on a glass reverberated throughout the room and the couple turned to face the stage at the far end of the room. Tony was standing in front of a microphone stand and tapping the glass to get everyone's attention. The crowd eventually settled down and it was mostly silent in the ballroom.

Tony cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming to my annual Stark Gala. And yes, this IS the second one this year, but this is a very special occasion. My pal Rhodey over there," Tony lifted his index finger from the glass he was holding to point to Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes who was sitting a table among some other people. Rhodey stood up and waved to the audience as they applauded. Tony continued his spiel, "just finished his… whatever-th year of service that I'm too drunk to remember." The crowd laughed right on cue and he smiled cheekily before continuing. "Not only that, but it's his birthday today! WOOT! Normally I wouldn't be having such a stuck-up formal party and have you all dressed up in monkey penguin suits, but Ms. Potts convinced me. So, here we are, and I would just like to say," he raised his glass, "Happy Birthday Rhodey. You deserve it. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The crowd echoed, raising and clinking their glasses and taking swigs. Tania knew that she would have a major headache the next morning, but it was worth it to enjoy tonight.

Once Tony descended the stage, the people swarmed around again, creating a sort of calm chaos as music from the orchestra began to play again. The billionaire led his military friend over to Steve and Tania, who were sitting at their table with the rest of the Avengers.

"Guys, this is Rhodey. Rhodey, the guys."

Everyone at the table rolled their eyes, especially Pepper. Steve, ever the gentleman, stood up first and shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you, Lieutenant Colonel."

Rhodey nodded in appreciation. "Thanks. It's an honour to meet you in the flesh as well, Captain."

Tania stood next. "Hi. My name is Tania Banks, head of the Marketing and Advertising Department at Stark Industries."

They shook hands. "I hear you're also Captain's girlfriend."

Tania blushed. "Yeah." She sat back down and went to grab Steve's hand and lace their fingers together, only for him to try and go hand in hand. They ended up fumbling awkwardly until they ended up hand in hand and blushing profusely.

Rhodey raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Instead, he turned to Thor. "And you must be the mighty God of Thunder."

Thor stood to his full height, towering above Iron Man's "sidekick" and grabbed his hand, shaking it up and down vigorously. "Tis always a pleasure encountering a friend of Stark's."

Rhodey nodded. "I'll have you know I'm his only friend."

Tony scoffed. "Uh, I'll have you know that I have plenty of friends."

"Name five."

"Well, you, Pepper, Happy, Bruce-"

"So, your girlfriend, your chauffeur, and your teammates?"

"Well… yes."

The entire table chuckled amicably as Tony fumed. Ignoring him, Bruce decided it was his time to introduce himself. He shyly got up from his chair and held out his hand. "Bruce Banner."

"Ah, the good Doctor," Rhodey grasped his hand firmly. "How's the Other Guy?"

Still getting used to people being so at ease around his counterpart, Bruce blinked in surprise, then stuttered an answer. "Um, well, uh, I-I… he's fine."

"Good to know."

Bruce smiled awkwardly. Clint was next. "Barton. Clint Barton."

"The famous Hawkeye."

"The one and only."

"Which means that you," he gestured to Natasha, "must be the deadly Black Widow."

"Your logic is sound," she confirmed.

"Well," Pepper started, "you already know me, so now that introductions are done, I think it's time to-"

"Crash the party? Good thinking Ms. Potts." Said a voice from behind them. Everyone turned to face a man with black rimmed glasses and sandy blonde hair dressed in a boring grey suit approach them with an odd smile on his face.

Tony grumbled. "I don't remember inviting you. Did I invite him Pepper?"

"You didn't invite anyone, I did. And no, I did not invite him."

"See! I didn't invite you."

The man laughed. "That's why it's called _crashing_ a party, Mr. Stark. My, you've lost your touch with the modern slang these days." He turned to the occupants of the table. "Oh my, I've forgotten my manners! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries."

"Aren't you supposed to be in SHIELD custody?" Bruce piped up, having heard of the man from stories Tony had recounted.

Justin laughed. "Oh Brucie, how you amuse me. My lawyers got me out of there easy as pie!"

"Liar. You paid the cell holder to let you out didn't you?" Tony accused, tone unamused.

Justin looked aghast and placed a hand to his chest. "Why Tony, I'm shocked you would think so low of me. I would never do such a thing! I would, however, do this." He winked just as all hell broke loose.

The front doors flew open and hordes of paparazzi flew in, snapping pictures of everyone and everything. There were so many of them and they were suddenly everything, poking microphones in people's faces and trampling guests in their attempts at approaching the Avengers.

Tony glared at Justin. "You're lucky my suit's in the car or you would be under my boot right now Hammer."

"Ooh, is that a threat? I'm so scared." He taunted, before laughing and walking away.

Steve grabbed Tania's hand and yelled to everyone else over the now boisterous and crazy crowd. "We have to get out of here! Let's go out the back!" The Avengers made their way towards the other side of the room towards the stage where the back doors were. It was utter chaos inside and there were so many flashes that it was hard to see two feet in front of you.

After several minutes of laborious and polite pushing, the nine of them finally made it outside in a dark alley and away from the reporters basically trying to attack them and everyone in their way. Tony slammed the door behind them and flipped out his cell phone to call Happy.

Steve turned to his girlfriend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. My hair took a bit of a beating but I didn't think it would last all night anyway." She shrugged and he smiled.

"Everyone else?"'

A chorus of "Good" and "We're fine" 's echoed around them. It was almost pitch black outside, seeing as it was the dead of night. It was also rather cold in the alley, and the girls were all starting to shiver, seeing as their dresses didn't have sleeves.

Well okay, Tania's had one, but it didn't do much. Pepper's dress was a dark teal colour and was covered in shiny gemstones that sparkled in the moonlight that gave off sort of a mermaid look. It was strapless and floor length and paired with an ocean blue shawl. Natasha's dress was classy and black, with spaghetti straps and lace zigzagging up her back. It was ankle length and had a pencil skirt-like style with a sweetheart neckline.

Steve, Tony, and Clint each gave them their jackets just as Tony's phone beeped. He checked it and cursed. "Damn it. Fury's calling the Avengers."

"Now?" Rhodey asked.

Tony patted the man's back. "Sorry Rhodey, looks like your birthday is officially ruined. Oh well, suit up. You're going to get the once in a lifetime privilege of fighting alongside the Avengers." Tony dragged Pepper into the waiting limo down the alleyway with Rhodey and the others trailing behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. Hello to all! What's new? So here's chapter two, action packed already :D Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own the Avengers or anything else mentioned that you recognized. Tania, Graham, other OCs and the plot are all mine, as well as the title :P**

Chapter 2

Tania sipped her coffee and sighed. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this."

Pepper nodded and hummed in agreement. "You never do, really. Though eventually you learn to ignore it for short periods of time." She shrugged.

"Is this how you feel every time Tony puts on the suit?" Bruce asked, sitting on her other side at the counter. Pepper nodded and he hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder in a sign of comfort. "I don't know how you stand it."

Pepper sighed. "Honestly, neither do I." she tilted her head back and downed her champagne.

It was about half past midnight at Avengers Tower in the kitchen. Tania, Pepper, and Bruce were all sitting in a row on the bar stools at the counter and drinking something different to quell their fatigue. Tania had coffee, Pepper had champagne, and Bruce had tea. The three of them were still dressed in their formal attire and makeup, though their hair and shoes had long been abandoned for messy do's and bare feet.

They were waiting anxiously for the others to come home from the mission they'd been sent on during the gala. Bruce had refrained from going because the mission didn't require his specific… skillset. So once Happy had dropped them off near the helicarrier to get suited up and armed, he drove the remaining three home.

Half an hour later, they stayed up to wait for their friends and boyfriends. Suddenly, Bruce's phone rang, startling all three of them so much that both girls were on their feet in seconds and Bruce almost dropped his phone in his haste to get to it.

He pressed "Talk" and held the device to his ear. "Hello?" he greeted nervously, tapping the counter in an unsteady rhythm. His eyes widened at what the other person was saying. "Are- are you sure? There isn't someone closer who could-" he was interrupted by the other person, "But what if the Other Guy-?" he sighed, "Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up.

"Well?" Pepper prodded.

Bruce looked up, meeting Tania's gaze and apologizing with his eyes. Tania immediately caught on and held a hand to her mouth. "Steve…?" she whispered shakily, and he nodded. Complete and utter dread gripped her from the inside out, and she found it difficult to breathe.

Pepper, being all too familiar with her situation, immediately grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "In… Out… In… Out… Do it with me Tania, stay with me. In… Out…" Tania stared into the red head's eyes and did as she was told while Bruce grabbed his jacket and shoes in a rush.

Tania tore her gaze away from her best friend. "What happened?" she asked him fiercely.

Bruce didn't stop flitting around as he answered. "I don't know. All I know is that he needs medical attention and I have no idea how severe it is."

"I'm coming with you." She stated, metaphorically putting her foot down. When he heard this, Bruce stopped moving.

"No." he said, plain and simple.

"You don't understand-"

"I understand perfectly well, but under no circumstances are you to come with me or follow me. Not only would both Fury and Steve have my head, but if you got hurt… I could never live with myself."

Tania could easily see his reasoning, and it was really very hard to argue with him, seeing as her own reasoning was "I want to see if he's okay". Not a very valid argument… So she decided to compromise.

"Call me with details the first available chance you get." Without giving him time to answer, she turned to Pepper, "Call Happy and have him give Bruce a ride."

Pepper nodded with determination. "Right." She took out her phone and started dialling.

Tania faced Bruce once more and her face softened. "Be careful."

Bruce smiled slightly back. "Always am." He replied before swiftly exiting the room to join his friends. From what she had gathered from the phone call, Bruce wasn't going into battle as the Hulk, but as a doctor for a fallen Avenger.

With her heart in her throat, Tania went back to the counter for her coffee. Another half hour passed in complete silence. Dark circles started to form around the women's eyes the longer they stayed awake. The tension in the room was almost palpable, but it was easily broken when Tania's phone rang as well.

She answered it in record time. "Yes?" her heart was pounding against her ribcage so hard she thought it might break out and fly across the room.

"Tania Banks, this is Nick Fury of SHIELD." Tania's throat closed up completely as she awaited him to continue. "We need you on that mission."  
That wasn't what she had been expecting… "Wh-what?" she managed, unblocking her throat.

"The Hulk has gone haywire and you are the only one in our systems close enough to subdue him."

"But… what?"

"Because you aren't a SHIELD agent, I can't force you to follow my orders, but I highly recommend you get your butt over there before your boyfriend and company get squashed."

Tania gulped. "Where exactly is 'there'?"

"The main mall about ten minutes from your location by car."

She nodded. "Fine. I'm on my way." She hung up and turned to Pepper, distraught but set on her decision. "I have to go with them. Call Happy."  
Tania gathered up her skirt and bolted for her shoes, hopping as she slipped them on while on the way to the elevator. Pepper came in right behind her while on the phone.

As the elevator descended the tall Tower, Tania took deep breaths to calm herself. This shouldn't be that nerve-wracking, she had been kidnapped by a mad scientist just over a month before! This should be a piece of cake! Just because she hasn't calmed down the Hulk in a while, didn't mean her method wasn't going to work anymore… did it? No, no of course not… at least, that's what she convinced herself anyway.

As soon as they hit the lobby, both women leapt out of the box-like room and ran out into the cold night (morning) air. Happy was parked out front, waiting for them. They jumped in and sped away into traffic towards the mall.

"Remind me to give you a raise." Pepper said, addressing Happy as the "inconspicuous" limo zoomed through the streets, weaving in and out between cars.

"Don't worry about it Pepper, if you gave me a raise every time I drove like this, you'd be broke." The chauffeur replied without taking his eyes from the road.

Pepper and Tania laughed. "I guess that's true," the CEO agreed. In five minutes, they stopped at the mall's entrance.

Tania threw open the door and stepped out. She turned to face the occupants of the vehicle. "Stay here and make sure no one else comes inside. If anyone gets in there's no telling what chaos they might cause." With nods from both people, she slammed the door shut and ran around the car and up to the automatic doors. However, it was after closing, so they were locked.

Sighing, Tania grabbed her heel and threw it as hard as she could at the door. The glass smashed on impact and she wasted no time in leaping through the hole she'd made. She made sure to land on the shoe-clad foot so as not to cut herself on the shards of glass. Once she was past it though, she abandoned her other stiletto heel and dashed down the hallway to the left.

She had no idea where she was going or what she was getting herself into, all she knew was that Steve was hurt and Bruce was on a rampage and that whatever the mission was, it was dangerous enough to call five of the six Avengers into battle.

Tania could hardly hear anything over her beating heart, but even so, the building was eerily quiet and all the lights were off. It was incredibly creepy to say the least, seeing as how she was so used to its bustling and bright atmosphere.

But then gunshots echoed from behind her she instinctively ducked and rolled behind a music standee of Justin Bieber (yeah, she was taller than it, but it was enough to crouch behind). Panting, she strained her ears to see what else she could hear.

Once the gunshots stopped firing, she swore she heard Iron Man's repulsors as well as metal clashing against metal. Cries of pain reached her ears, but she didn't recognize the voices. She prayed that no one else was hut as she hurtled herself back the way she came, toward the sounds.  
Unfortunately, she forced to make a choice when a loud roar sounded behind her. The Hulk was one way, while the others were another way. She desperately wanted to see Steve, but she had a duty and promise to Nick Fury to calm down the Big Guy, not to mention the longer she kept him waiting, the more destruction he would most likely cause.

"Oh Steve…" she spun on her heel and pumped her legs to send her in the direction of the Hulk. After making a sharp turn and sliding down the banister of the stairwell, Tania leapt off of it and kept running.

She was breathing hard and her legs were burning by the time she reached the food court on the lower level of the mall. But that was where the Hulk was, terrorizing the place. He grunted as he threw tables into restaurants and smashed chairs with his feet. He destroyed everything in sight and very few things remained intact.

Bracing herself for resistance, Tania slowly approached him, not wanting to startle him. She opened her mouth to call out to him, when something slapped her back and then wrapped around her torso and arms a few times. Before she had a chance to scream, she was yanked all the way up to the ceiling without hitting her head on it.

Confused as hell and scared to death, Tania began to scream and kick and flail. The floor was so far away… after the whole "Neil" ordeal, heights had scared her more than ever. She was okay with elevators, high heels, high floors, things like that. She wasn't okay with not standing on anything, looking down through glass from dizzying heights, dangling from anywhere, or falling. And right now she was dangling.

Horrible flashbacks seized her mind and she screamed and whipped her available limbs around, trying to free herself. Panic and fear had overcome her every sense and she struggled with all her might to be rid of this… this… web around her.

"You know, I don't hear a thank you in there." Said a voice she didn't recognize. Tania looked through the strands of hair that had gotten in her face to see someone clad in red and blue spandex with black web-like designs and white triangles for eyes over the mask staring up at her, looking completely at ease. "You really shouldn't be here, you'll only get in the way. You're lucky I saved you. Oh, and you're welcome."

Furious, Tania started to screech at him in the hopes of distracting herself from her paralyzing fear. She swore and she kicked and she swung back and forth in her rage, but still she hung from the ceiling uselessly. She was starting to feel lightheaded, and that was never a good sign.

"Woah, you've got a mouth on you," the decidedly male voice said. He bent his ring and middle fingers into his palm and flexed the others, aiming his wrists straight for her, palms up, "Let's fix that. We don't want you agitating him after all." He was obviously referring to the Hulk when he spoke, his jaw moving up and down but the mask covered his mouth.

Just as some sort of web shot from his wrists, aimed for her mouth, a giant green hand intercepted its path and caught the string in its fist. The Hulk's angry face was suddenly all up in the mysterious man's face. If he were an anime character, he would have sweat dropped.

"Uh… hey, big guy!" he greeted, scratching the back of his head nervously.

The Hulk growled and raised his fist to smash the guy, when Tania screamed again, this time quieter than before. Hulk stopped mid-swing and turned around. He grabbed the web attaching her to the ceiling and snapped it in two with ease before catching the falling Tania in his hands so that she sat with her knees in front of her chest and her head down. She was breathing hard and collecting herself.

To everyone's surprise, the Hulk spoke. "Tan… Tan…" he sighed, failing at saying her name and instead settling for the nickname he had occasionally heard Tony call her, "Piggy Bank okay?" Oh Tony was SO going to pay for that.

Tania slowly raised her head and gave a very weak smile. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm okay. But… um… a little help?" she nodded to her restraints. With shocking gentleness, Hulk complied and pinched the web between his index finger and his thumb before flinging it at the man who was rooted to the spot in complete confusion.

Hulk placed Tania safely on the ground before whirling on the unknown guy and snarling menacingly. It looked like the masked man was about to speak (though it was hard to tell with the mask on), when a shield flew by. Almost as if he sensed it, the man bent backward and avoided it with ease. Even when the shield came back like a boomerang he was able to dodge it by back flipping out of the way.

The disc returned to none other than Captain America, who was looking extremely pissed off and putting all his weight on one leg. Behind him, stood Thor, who twirled his hammer in anticipation, Clint, his bow taut, Natasha, her gun cocked, Iron Man, hovering above the ground, and War Machine, who had one arm raised with some sort of weapon aimed at the man.

"Shit." the red and blue vigilante muttered.

Steve stomped over to him and shoved a finger to his chest, causing him to stumble backward a couple steps. Seething with anger, the Captain spoke. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tania had never heard his voice so low and menacing. It was kinda sexy…

"Uh, saving her life." The man responded with rapidly waning confidence as he eyed the team before him.

"She was doing her job!" Steve shouted.

"She was in the way!" the man argued back.

"So are you!"

"He was going to crush her!"

"Does it look like he's going to crush her?" he gestured to the Hulk, who was standing protectively in front of Tania, effectively blocking her from view while she attempted to peek around him. Red-and-blue-guy visibly gulped, but he didn't get the chance to say anything as Cap continued on.

"Look, son, just leave this to the professionals."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize the 'community helpers club' was exclusive!" the man snapped.

Steve ground his teeth. "Is that what you're here for? To help the community?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well yeah, haven't you seen me on the news?" He received blank stares all around and sighed. "Friendly neighborhood Spiderman? Ring any bells?" It was Natasha who spoke up. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, it's me! The masked vigilante who goes around stopping crime without help from the police. I'm one of you guys."

"You will never be one of us." Steve growled, fists clenched. This was the angriest anyone had ever seen him. It was kind of scary to see their leader get so out of control… and yet be so in control at the same time.

Before anything else could go down, Tania stepped around the Hulk and into view. She walked up to Steve and rested a hand on his arm. Almost immediately his muscles relaxed and he glanced at her. Blue met brown and he stepped back. "I'm okay," she whispered so that only he could hear. "It's okay." She then glared at the man before her who had strung her from the ceiling.

Spiderman seemed surprised… and a little scared. "Uh… she doesn't have a super power too, does she?"

Tony finally moved forward and landed on Tania's left, dropping the remaining foot to the ground. When he spoke, his voice was altered a bit by the suit and sounded somewhat robotic. "Yeah, she calms down the Hulk."

Spiderman suddenly didn't seem so cocky. "Oh! Oh man… uh…"

"She's also Cap's girlfriend." Tony stated blankly.

This only seemed to further disturb the man, whose voice clearly said that he wasn't one yet, but rather a boy – a late teenager at least, but still young. "Crap, I'm really sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Famous last words." Tony whispered, seeing as how when Steve and Tania first met, he'd asked her that and it eventually led to their relationship. Knowing what he meant, Steve punched him in the arm, crushing the metal easily.

Tania smirked, but it wasn't at full capacity. She still hadn't one hundred percent recovered from the overall experience of being dangled from such heights. "Just let me do my job. Karma will do the rest." She turned, putting her back to him and facing the Hulk. Steve immediately stepped behind her, not letting his eyes leave Spiderman as he stood back-to-back with her. Tony even did the, "I'm watching you" motion.

Spiderman gulped as almost every turned to watch the show. Tania was very much aware of how everyone's eyes were on her, waiting for her Latin singing performance. She pushed away the slight stage fright and closed her eyes, imagining that they weren't there.

"Thanks," she whispered before starting, "Benedictus Quivenit Inomine Domini, Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, In excelsis." She repeated the verse over and over in the softest soprano voice she could muster. Behind her, she could hear Clint and Tony arguing over her super hero name again. Those two just wouldn't leave it alone! Ignoring them, she continued to sing the same song as before, not having looked up new ones for this particular situation.

Eventually, the Hulk began to sway, just like last time, before eventually falling forward towards her. However, when he landed on her, he was in human form and she caught him easily enough, though she had to kneel. The fact that he was completely naked again made her blush so hard she swore that her entire body was red as a tomato.

Clint and Thor walked up and took him from her, much to her relief. She turned away and buried her face in Steve's neck. But that was when Spiderman interrupted their moment.

"Oh! That's where I know you from!" Everyone wheeled around to stare at him. Seeing that he had made a mistake, he hastily backtracked. "I mean, at the… at the Gala. You were both there, and-":

"You were there?" Rhodey asked, shocked that Tony (or Pepper) would invite someone like him.

"What?! No! Nothing like that!" Spiderman rushed to reassure them, "Um, I saw a picture of the two of you on the internet not too long ago announcing that you two were dating. Publicity travels fast nowadays you know." He laughed nervously.

And then in a flash he was gone, swinging away by his webs that attached to the ceiling as he went. Rhodey fired up the jets in his boots. "He's getting away!"

"Nah, hold on." Tony grabbed his friend's shoulder, preventing him from going after the guy. "He's just a kid, let him go. He thought he was doing good, but he accidentally did the opposite. Just let him go." Rhodey nodded and landed roughly on the floor.

With that said and done, Tania wrapped her arms around Steve's neck and nuzzled him, needing the comfort at that moment. Slightly red in the face (whether it was from blushing or embarrassment, no one knew) Steve snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her back, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He breathed her in and held her tight, lifting one hand to cradle the back of her head.

"I don't trust him…" he said simply.

Tania laughed quietly, muffled by his neck. "Me neither, but he's gone now. It's over." She stopped and pulled away, but not far enough to leave his embrace, just enough to stare deeply into his eyes. "It is over, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, the threat's been neutralized."

She deflated a bit, "Still not allowed to tell me?"

"Nope. Sorry."

She sighed. "It's okay." That's when she stared down at his foot with worried eyes. "Are you?"

He waved it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just broken. With the serum I'll be up and at 'em in no time."

"I believe you left out the part where you got shot multiple times." Iron Man interrupted.

"What?!" Tania exclaimed as Steve sent Tony a death glare.

"He's lying!" he claimed, she sent him a look that said 'don't you dare lie to me', "I only got shot once."

She sighed in exasperation. "Come on, let's go home. Pepper and Happy are waiting outside, we'll patch you up when we reach the Tower."

"What? Pepper and Happy are here?!" Tony questioned. Tania nodded and he was off like a rocket, leaving behind a breeze that blew everyone's hair into their faces. Rhodey trailed after him, followed by Clint, Thor, and Bruce. Natasha walked beside them, leaving the couple standing there.

Tania sighed and took his left arm and wrapped it around her shoulders while she wrapped one around his waist to help him walk. He insisted that he was fine and that he could walk without difficulty, but she just gave him a look that told him to shut up and he complied.

"I want coffee." She muttered.

Steve laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N. Hi y'all! Wow I'm updating fast aren't I? Don't expect this for the whole story tho, my updates have no sort of schedule but I can assure you that I plan on updating NO LATER than once every 2 weeks, tho my goal is once or twice a week. Also, just a warning to anyone who hasn't read the original story before this one, I suggest you read it because this chapter (and the rest of the story) will probably make no sense without it. And Tania's revenge on Tony for the whole "Piggy Bank" thing isn't in here, but it will come I assure you. Probably not within the next chapter or two, but it will come. ;) Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not, nor will I ever, own the Avengers. This applies to all the chapters of this fic and any other fics I write. I do not get money for writing this, just wonderful reviews and loyal reviewers whom I love :)**

**Chapter 3**

Much to the dislike of everyone there, Fury had forced the Avengers and company onto the helicarrier for an immediate debriefing. As they all sat around the large round table (except for Pepper and Happy), Steve was the first to speak up, ever the brave leader.

"Director, you should have waited."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And waited for what, _Captain_."

"For the Avengers to call for your help. We were perfectly fine on our own; the Hulk wasn't hurting anyone, we had the villains under control, there wasn't a civilian in sight, until you sent one right into the line of fire." He said, referring to Tania as they held hands above the table.

Her thumb ran back and forth along the back of his hand comfortingly during the meeting, which was the only thing keeping him in his seat and not pacing around aimlessly.

Fury didn't budge. "Hulk was destroying civilian property and not in your line of vision. Excuse me for thinking that you might need a hand from your sidekick."

Despite the fact that he had said it sarcastically, Tania's nostrils flared and she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "I am _not_ anyone's sidekick. I'm also not Bruce's babysitter."

"I might beg to differ, Sonata," Tony piped up from the corner of the room where he stood with his arms crossed. He moved forward to join the others and placed both hands on the table between Fury and Tania, who were on opposite ends. Tania rolled her eyes at the hero name he'd given her. "As I told Spidey-Widey back there, you're super power is babysitting Bruce, therefore, you must be a superhero or a sidekick at the least."

"Are you defending Fury?" Natasha asked in that monotone voice of hers. She sat between Clint and Bruce (who was conscious and fully clothed at this point) directly across from Tony.

The genius billionaire so-called playboy philanthropist almost jumped at the realization. "What? Me? Never." He turned to Fury. "I take it back. She's a civilian who knows all of our secret identities and all of our secrets."

"Stark!" Clint barked.

"What?" Tony asked innocently, "So is Pepper. And yet she turned out just fine."

"Attached to some selfish, arrogant, snarky,-?"

"Devilishly handsome, heroic, genius billionaire? Why yes, yes she did." Tony finished for him, grinning at his small triumph. Clint glared at him while Fury cleared his throat.

"Boys – because there is no way in hell that either of you are gentlemen – settle down. We haven't even started the actual debriefing yet. Now sit down."

"I'll stand," Tony opted, moving towards Rhodey, who was also standing. He leaned in and whispered something in the military man's ear and they both cracked smiles.

Ignoring him, Fury turned to the others. "Ms. Banks, I'm going to have to ask you to leave for this part."

Tania sighed and stood up. "Fine, I'll go wait outside with Pepper."

She was about to leave when Steve grabbed her hand and she looked back at him. His eyes were pleading and she swore she'd do anything he asked her to with that look. "Um, actually, I'd feel better if you went to medical to get checked out." He suggested.

Tania blinked in surprise. "Really? But I'm not hurt."

"We have no idea what those… ummm…" his face scrunched up as he tried to think of a certain word.

"Webs?" she offered.

"Yeah, webs. We have no idea what they were made of. They could have been poisonous! Or you could have burns. Or-"

Tania rolled her eyes. "Steve, I'm fine. I don't need to see a doctor. Besides, I can have Bruce look me over when we get home, right Bruce?"

The doctor sighed. "You guys do realize I'm not _that_ kind of doctor right?" he said, looking at the table as he leaned his head in his right hand.

"Yeah, but I don't like hospitals and medical wards or wings." Tania wrinkled her nose. "It's too depressing."

"Preach." Clint agreed, miming raising his glass to her. Natasha and Tony mimicked him.

Bruce sighed again. "Fine. I'll look at you later, okay?" he rubbed his eyes tiredly and dropped his head to the table with a small groan. Everyone exchanged glances.

"Uh… Bruce? Y'okay there buddy?" Tony questioned.

"Just peachy," was the man's sarcastic reply.

Despite the confusion in the room, Fury acted oblivious to it and increasingly started to get annoyed from the lack of actual debriefing. "Ms. Banks, the door."

"Sheesh, no need to be so rude," Tania raised her hands and exited the room. Of course, once she left, there was one small problem: she had no idea which way to go in this complicated maze. So she decided to simply sit outside the door and wait.

Not many agents passed, as it was about two in the morning at that point. The halls were quiet, save for the light hum of the engines that kept the helicarrier in the air. Before she knew it, Tania was fast asleep.

She didn't know how long she'd been napping when she realized that she was bobbing up and down. She tensed, unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes shot open and she tried to sit up, but the latter failed when she realized that she was in someone's arms. She relaxed instantaneously when she recognized the familiar red and blue uniform of her boyfriend.

"Shh…" Steve cooed, looking down at her with a loving expression, "Go back to sleep. We're almost to the elevator."

Tania nodded drowsily and brought one arm up to clutch at his shirt. "Love you." She mumbled, snuggling into his grasp more comfortably.

She could practically feel his blush as he answered back. "Love you too." He kissed her forehead gently. Tania was in heaven.

She was faintly aware of a ding of an elevator, and then some sort of messed up rock music to sound like elevator jingles, another beep, and then footsteps. There was the sound of a door whizzing up automatically. She suddenly found herself lying down the plush bed that Tony had gotten her when she'd first moved in.

She sighed and rolled over, grabbing a pillow hugging it as she slept on her side. She thought she heard a faint chuckle before falling into a deep sleep.

However, that night she had many nightmares. The predominant one was definitely the scariest. She was dangling yet again from Spiderman's webs, only this time, she was hanging from the top of Avengers Tower. Glass was raining down from the sky in shards that never touched her but always came so close. The sky was dark and grey, covered in storm clouds. Below her, instead of the bustling streets of New York that she loved, all she saw was a swirling portal of red blood. There was web stuck to her mouth and she couldn't utter a word nor make a sound, but she 'screamed' for all it was worth.

In the portal, she saw faces – transparent faces. There was Tony being electrocuted by the lock he'd tried to pick. Then there was Thor, lying unconscious with the marks of a needle imbedded in his neck. Next came Bruce, thrashing on that table in the lab. After that came Pepper, who was chained to the wall. And then there was Steve, fighting Neil in Tony's suit all alone. Natasha appeared right after, recovering from the explosion she'd heard. Finally, Clint was seen being thrown like a rag doll across the roof of Neil's mansion.

All of it had been her fault. They'd all gotten hurt because she'd been too _stupid and oblivious_ to realize that there was a mechanical spider in her purse sent to spy on and capture the Avengers. She was racked with guilt and sobs as she hung her head and closed her eyes. The web snapped.

Tania awoke with a start that had her heart beating a thousand miles a minute. She had felt the sensation of falling, her body had reacted to the pull of gravity by bringing her to her senses with a gasp. Her chest rose and fell with each panting breath. She was tangled in her sheets and she could feel the sheen of sweat on her neck and back. She clutched her blanket with white fingers and the tightest grip she thought she'd ever had.

After several minutes of frantically trying to calm down, she managed to close her eyes and take deep breaths. However, this did nothing to ease her fear of heights and she sat up with a sigh. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and grabbed her phone from her nightstand. She checked the time: six –o-nine. She groaned and plopped back down on the bed.

She was very tempted to call Steve, but he was probably sleeping and she didn't want to disturb him. Plus, what was he going to do? Comfort her and say it was all okay? She already knew that. Nothing was wrong, Neil was dead, and she was in possibly the safest place in the world (aside from the white house and Buckingham Palace and all those other important places). There was nothing to fear or worry about. She knew this. So what was the point in having someone else tell her said facts over and over again? That's right, there was none.

So she tossed her phone back on the table and rolled over. "Jarvis?" she whispered, praying he didn't hibernate or something at night. Her prayers were answered when he did.

"Yes, Ms. Banks?"

"Can you play some Michael Bublé for me please? But quietly. I don't want anyone else to hear."

"As you wish." The second he stopped speaking, JARVIS activated the music and Tania was lulled into a state of half-sleep and half-consciousness. A few hours later, she awoke to "Just Haven't Met You Yet". After checking the time (eight o'clock on the dot) she got up, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, changed into pyjamas (because she'd forgotten last night) and wiped off all her makeup. She put the messed up gown (there was no way she'd ever be able to wear that again after last night) in her closet and yawned before making her way down the stairs.

She hummed along to the music as she went, not noticing that JARVIS had installed it so that the song started playing whatever room she was in. So imagine everyone else's surprise when she walked into the kitchen and music started playing randomly – and near the end of the song too.

"Someone's got a theme song," Tony said after swallowing a mouthful of pancake.

"Or a soundtrack to their life," Clint offered.

At first, Tania didn't know what they were talking about. But when it clicked, she exclaimed a small cry of, "Oh!" and then promptly ordered to JARVIS to turn it off, to which the computerized butler complied.

"Nah, leave it on J, but lower the volume. Wouldn't want to drown out the wonderful conversations I start," Tony demanded. Everyone rolled their eyes.

As the brunette approached the table, she did a double take. There were no seats left. But how…? That was when she noticed Rhodey sitting at the head of the table opposite from Tony. So… where was she supposed to sit? She didn't want to be rude, so she just went over to the kitchen to collect her food. She stalled as long as possible, wondering what she would do, when Steve stood up to get seconds.

She grinned sneakily and quickly stole his seat and started eating. No one said anything (not that anyone cared much about seating arrangements) and she ate in peace. Well, until she saw Steve's shadow pass over her from behind and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"I believe that's my spot," he told her with playfulness clear in his voice.

"I don't see your name on it," she replied back with a similar tone. She craned her neck to look behind her and smiled innocently up at him. "If you want it back you can come and get it."

"Or you could just sit in his lap," Tony suggested. Both parties of the newest couple looked away from each other and started blushing. They hadn't gotten at that stage of intimacy in their relationship yet, they hadn't even discussed it! It had only been just over a month since they started dating and they were only just getting over the honeymoon stage – though others would argue that they were still in it and gagged on the amount of fluff (cough Tony cough).

"She can have my chair, I'll just pull up a stool from the bar," Steve stated. As he went off to fulfill said task, Tania felt her cheeks heat up even further. Why hadn't she thought of that?

Once Steve had reseated himself next to her, she decided to start conversation to cover up her little blunder of embarrassment that she was pretty sure (hoped) no one noticed. She cleared her throat. "So what were you guys talking about before I got here?"

"Well," Rhodey began, "We were discussing how War Machine came to be." He started cutting his pancake with his knife and fork as Pepper spoke up.

"Yes, I'm afraid you've missed the story. But don't worry, I'll tell it to you later," she reassured her friend.

Tania sent her a grateful smile. "Thanks Pepper. Did the story end just as I came in?"

"No, I had just asked Bruce why he was being such a Debby Downer when Michael Bublé started playing." Tony responded, looking towards his fellow science friend. "So? Speak up."

Bruce clenched his fists. "Nothing. It's nothing. Drop it." It was obvious to everyone at the table that it was NOT nothing, but no one wanted to anger the man who could kill them all. Of course, all his teammates and friends believed that no harm would come to them should the scientist Hulk out, however, that didn't mean that there wouldn't be collateral damage.

Still, Tony pushed. "Aw come on, you can trust us Banner. What's up with you? Girlfriend got you down?" It was just an expression, yet Bruce pounded his fists on the table and stood up, knocking his chair backward with surprising force. Everyone was silent as Bruce shook slightly.

Tania was on her feet in an instant and ran around the table to try and calm him. Despite her words to Fury the day before (or rather, that morning) she still felt somewhat responsible for the Hulk. She liked having a specific position in the Avengers and their dynamic instead of just being Captain America's girlfriend. This was a compromise of sorts. She got to play the hero without _actually_ being a legitimate super hero.

She placed a hand on his shoulder to test the waters. He flinched but didn't pull away. "Bruce," she whispered, "We're sorry." She knew that telling him to calm down would do no good. If she was mad and someone told her to calm down, she would probably only get angrier; and they didn't want that.

Bruce took a few deep breaths before he became still. But then he ripped his shoulder away from her and stomped out of the room, leaving behind some very confused friends of his.

"Maybe I should go after him…" Tania thought aloud.

"I'd wait until he cools down a bit Tania," Natasha advised, "I don't doubt your ability to calm down the Hulk, however I'm pretty sure he wants to be alone."

"And Tasha's never wrong," Clint backed her up.

Tania nodded and sat back down in her chair, looking down at her food kind of sadly. It only lasted a moment before she held her head high and smiled brightly. "This breakfast is delicious! Who made it?"

Clint and Pepper both raised their hands. "We made it together," the red head explained.

"Well, you should cook together more often. These are the best pancakes I've ever had! What's in it?"

"That's our secret." Clint winked and everyone at the table laughed.

Just another morning at Avengers Tower.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N. Hello to all! Here's ch.4, sorry it's so late btw. I had no internet where I was for the last 5 hours so I had to wait to post it. So, this is mostly fluff (which I though was absolutely ADORABLE while writing it) AND we get to see what's gotten Bruce so down. Enjoy :D**

**P.S. Just so you know, the time machine won't come in until much later chapters, however the time change WILL be the center of the story, I just love the other Avengers so much that I wanted to give them all screen time before Tania and Steve left. I have no idea how many chapters until the REAL plot begins, but quite a few. Hope you guys don't mind. I have got some drama pre-time machine as well so hang on for the ride :)**

**Disclaimer - I still don't own the Avengers.**

Chapter 4

"Steve, I'm worried about Bruce. Do you think he's okay?" Tania asked, staring at their linked hands by her side.

Steve shrugged, rocking back and forth by his feet. The couple were sitting next to each other on the swings at a park, enjoying the midday sun and the lack of reporters. It was another of their dates, you could say. "He did seem pretty tense this morning."

"I know, right? Think we should do something?"

He pursed his lips. "Mm, I don't know. He likes to be left alone about these kinds of things."

"But that's just it, what is this thing?"

"I… I don't know," he admitted, looking down at his bare feet in the hot sand. It wasn't a beach – not by a long shot – but it was as good as they were going to get right now.

"Maybe I should go talk to him," Tania suggested, wiggling her toes.

"Do you think he'd listen to reason?"

"He's a fairly reasonable man."

"Do you think the Other Guy would listen to reason?"

"Well, whether or not he does, he seems to like me best, so my chances of getting him to spill will be much higher." She smiled

"I suppose." He eyed the other families playing on the structure not too far away. "Do you think it could wait a bit, though?" He looked back into her eyes and Tania felt the same way: she wanted to prolong this date for as long as possible.

She closed her eyes and laughed, basking in the glow of the summer sun and his love for her. It was really a beautiful day (as JARVIS had said) and she was very much enjoying just sitting here and relaxing. "Alright," she sighed dramatically, "but you're going to have to catch me first." She winked at him.

Instead of blushing, Steve shot her a coy smile. "Come on, at least give me a challenge," he teased.

She scoffed, mocking hurt. "I'll have you know that this is a challenge because I have a few tricks up my… non-existent sleeve." She pointed out, gesturing to her bare arm. On that day, she donned a purple spaghetti strap and white knee-length skirt paired with yellow sandals and a purple headband. Her hair was in a ponytail and she had a purse strung across her torso. "ReadySetGo!" she grabbed her shoes in one hand and took off, leaving a trail of dust in her wake that Steve could barely see out of.

He coughed and smirked as the dust began to clear. He decided to give her head start and went to put on his shoes. In no time at all he was running as well, chasing his girlfriend through the park. It was times like this where Tania reminded him of a little girl – one that never had the chance to do this very much as a child. Another instance would have been when they first met, and she had convinced him to run outside in the rain simply because they could. He loved this side of her (much like all her other sides). It was so innocent and honest and adorable. It made his heart ache for his childhood sometimes, especially since her idea of fun was almost never technology related (Angry birds in 3D didn't count): running around the park, running in the rain, going out to get coffee, going for walks, watching movies (which also didn't count because he had movies back in his day so it wasn't all that technological to him – except maybe the special effects), etc. It was a side of her that he wanted to preserve at all costs.

So he played along, and he always found himself enjoying it just as much as she was, if not more. Of course, with the super serum and all, no matter what physical game they played, he would always win (even if he tried to lose; and he HAD tried). So this chase should have been a piece of cake for him: but it wasn't.

Because of the head start he had given her, he had lost sight of his girlfriend. Instead of a friendly game of tag, it was turning out to be a game of hide and seek. He was just as satisfied with this and he immediately started searching. He peeked through all the nooks and crannies of the giant play structure and among the tall grass in the miniature meadow nearby. He looked high and low but he couldn't seem to find her.

"Hey Captain!" Steve turned, secretly loving the way she said his rank. It was incredibly alluring. Of course, that was inappropriate since she was acting like a complete child right now. He pushed the thought from his mind and spun around. There, up in a tree, was Tania. She waved, beaming down at him. "Took you long enough!" she accused playfully.

Steve smirked again and headed for the tree, ready to climb up to her. He grabbed a low hanging branch with his right hand and stuck his left foot in a V-shape that separated two other branches. He stepped up only to realize that the twig his hand grasped had snapped from his strength, causing him to lose his balance and step back down.

Tania smiled knowingly from her position up high, just over arm's reach away, lying on her stomach about a long branch that sprouted forward and away from the sun, making it behind her. The glow outlined her silhouette with an orange hue and he couldn't help but admire her beauty. It made him want to get closer.

He was determined to get up there, even if he had to break every branch to do it. He wrapped both arms around the trunk loosely and stepped up onto his propped up foot yet again. This time, he managed to stay upright and squeeze both feet on there. He looked up, only to see that Tania had started climbing again. She was directly above him now. He blushed bright red and thanked God that she was wearing shorts beneath her skirt as he whipped his head away and instead focused on how to climb next. He spotted a sturdy tree arm and gripped it firmly, testing its force.

He nodded and pulled himself up, pressing one foot flat against the trunk and pushing himself up, kicking his other leg over the branch so that he was sitting on it like he was riding a horse. Wasting no time, Steve reached up and grabbed a branch right above him with both hands. He tightened the muscles in his arms and flipped himself so that his legs wrapped around the same annex (?) and the rest of him hung upside down. Using brute strength, he rolled himself upward so that he was lying face down on the branch toward the trunk. He looked up.

Tania was a couple yards up, sitting happily at the very top, just under the brush of leaves where if she poked her head out, she could see the sun. She sat on a long and thick branch that wrapped around the inside of the tree about a foot from the actual trunk and swung her legs back and forth, with one hand resting on the tree itself at all times to keep her balance.

In all honesty, Steve was very proud of her. Despite her fear of heights, the woman had climbed this tree without hesitation; yet the night before had left her visibly shaken. Granted, she had been much higher off the ground and hadn't known the source from what she was hanging, how, who, what, or why. Of course he knew that riding an elevator and walking around on the roof of Avengers Tower was no problem for her, having done so with her many times before. But still, every time she was somewhere high, he couldn't help but hold his breath and wait for the scream. But it never came.

Unless she was dangling – or falling. Neither of which, she was doing. He had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't be poking her head out of the leaves any time son though. No matter. He was content to have her wait for him just where she was.

He pushed himself into a sitting position and carefully stood up, balancing on the arm of the strong plant. At his full height, he could almost touch Tania's bare foot. He reached out to her, silently telling her that she had won their little game and that he had given up. She smiled smugly but held out her hand none the less.

Steve swore that he would never get used to the feeling of touching her. Whether it was holding her in his arms, kissing her on the cheek or on the lips, stroking or playing with her hair, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, holding her hand, brushing her cheek with the tips of his fingers, or even nudging her foot with his beneath the table, something inside of him always felt warm regardless of his mood. It was like a drug he had gotten so easily addicted to from the second he'd rammed into her when they first met. It was something he didn't want to give up – ever. It was something he couldn't stand to lose to someone else.

She yanked him up with a small grunt and with his help, he managed to place himself beside her so that she was firmly squished between him and the tree. He didn't let go of her hand, instead bringing the back of her knuckles to his lips and kissing it gently.

She rolled her eyes but her blush and uncharacteristic giggle betrayed how much she liked it. He smiled, eyes sparkling. He had been the one to make her laugh like that and blush like that. She was out here with him. She had said that she loved him. And he was the luckiest man in the whole world.

The sun suddenly decided to come out from behind a cloud, shining through the maze of leaves into her face, illuminating her skin in just the right way. He had the strange urge to paint the image he saw before him. But to do that, he had to memorize it. An effective way to do so, was to feel it's every crevice, dent, and plane.

He found his hand rising of its own accord. He didn't stop it. It slowly lifted itself to her cheek, gently caressing her smooth skin. Her eyelids started to flutter closed and she leaned forward, expectant. He mirrored her actions, leaning down a bit to capture her lips with his own.

Each kiss was like first, an epic explosion of passionate embers that continued to fall each and every second their lips were connected. It felt beautiful and perfect despite his lack of expertise on the matter. He and Tania had spent enough to time practicing for him to have perfected the "art". He was a natural artist after all, and a fast learner. At least, that's what he'd said to her after their second kiss.

They moved back and forth, pressing their mouths together for an indeterminate amount of time. When they finally came up for air (the fifth time), Tania finally spoke, sounding out of breath.

"You know… I still have to talk to Bruce."

"I'm sure he's fine by now." Steve leaned in for another kiss but she laughed and pushed against his chest lightly, but enough to make him stop just a hair's breadth from her lips.

Her heart was fluttering like a butterfly speeding back home, and her eyelashes were soon to follow. But she managed to scrape up some form of self-control (from who knows where) and pulled back.

"Steve, he's upset."

"It's been hours."

"It's not even lunch yet."

"So? When I was a kid, you learned to get over things quickly. Either that, or you were depressed for the rest of your life. And we both know Bruce isn't that depressed."

"Of course that happened when you were a kid, you lived during the Great Depression. But in case you haven't noticed, Steve, this is the twenty first century."

"I know, but-"

"But nothing." She pecked his nose. "Walk me home?"

His face lit up. "Of course."

She sighed dreamily. "Such a gentleman." Steve hopped down straight from the branch and landed on the Earth with a soft thump. He stood up from his kneeled position and titled his head back to look at her. That was when she realized how high she was. Perhaps she didn't think this through.  
She gulped and focused on the tree. A branch here, a branch there. Slowly, she placed her hands and feet in certain holes and made her way down. About halfway to the bottom, the sun penetrated the leaves once again and momentarily blinded her. She instinctively leaned back just an inch – but it was enough.

One foot lost its bearing and with it, the majority of her weight. She slipped and grabbed the closest branch she could find, clinging to it as she now dangled from the arm of the tree that was virtually only a bit larger than a twig. She began kicking around and panicking, making whining noises as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force the vertigo she remembered out of her brain.

Steve was also panicking. She was white as a sheet and that branch looked like it could snap at any moment. Of course, she wasn't all that far from the ground, probably only about ten feet, but still. He knew how scared she was and he would do anything to make her feel better.

"Tania!" he called out to her, stepping closer to where he thought she might fall. "Let go! I'll catch you!"

"NO!" was her immediate response, and she gripped the branch harder. He knew she hated falling more than anything, but unless she found her footing on the tree once again (which didn't look like it was going to happen), this was the only other safe option.

"Please! You have to trust me! I won't hurt you! I promise. You are going to be safe in my arms, okay? You'll always be safe there. No matter what. Just let go. I'll be here to catch you." There was a reason he used very little nouns in his coaxing. It wasn't just the tree he spoke of, it was a metaphor for her fear. She could get over it, she could let it go, especially if she trusted him to be there for her at all costs. It was a heavy burden to carry, such a big promise to keep, but he was confident that he could do it.

Above him, Tania stopped kicking. It was quiet for a little bit, the children's cries sounding so far away. He barely heard a whispered, "Okay," above the soft wind. She looked down and met his gaze. Again, he was filled with a sense of pride as he noticed that there weren't any tears. She was so brave. He nodded at her, letting her know that he had heard and was ready to catch her. He held out his arms in wait. Tania took a deep breath. "You ready?"

"When you are."

"Okay. Three… Two… One…" she stopped breathing and let go. The wind whipped by her and her stomach flew up to her throat as she fell. She let out a little squeak before it was over and she felt more comfortable than she had ever been before. She sighed in relief.

They stood like that for a few seconds before she started to wiggle, squirming to be let down. He complied and lowered her legs to the ground. She stood up, closed her eyes, inhaled, opened her eyes, and then smiled at him. He was amazed at her ability to get over it so fast and couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks." She said, truly grateful to her boyfriend. She kissed his cheek. "I love you."

He grinned and interlaced their fingers together. "Love you too."

She put on her shoes one handed. "So, now that that's over. Let's go find Bruce."

Tania made her way through the hallway on Dr. Banner's floor, reading the golden inscriptions on each door as she went. Lab 101. Jolly Green Giant. Study Hall. Science Bro. The hall was carpeted in a deep red, so she made no sound as she walked, squishing her toes into the strings with each step.

When she reached the final door, she knocked on the wall, not wanting the door to open automatically and have him think she was intruding too much into his personal space. Plus she didn't want to walk in on him doing anything that she didn't want to see.

She waited a few seconds, rocking back and forth on her feet with her hands behind her back. Finally, when it seemed like he would never answer, the door slid up to reveal an exhausted looking Bruce. She couldn't blame him really, the night before had been very late. Still, he looked ever more tired than he had been that morning.

Beneath his eyes were deep, purple bags and his hair was ruffled to the point of bed head. He was slouched and leaning more on one leg with his arms loosely by his sides. All in all, he looked pretty awful.

Tania cleared her throat. "I don't want to be rude, but you look like road kill."

Bruce rolled his eyes and turned away, leaving the door open as a silent invitation for her to come in. She did. Immediately inside was a beige couch with lime green cushions adjacent to a Hulk-green bean bag chair. There were green accents everywhere with black, white, grey, and beige combinations to act as background so that the vibrant colours could stand out more. Even the TV was green.

Bruce plopped down on his bean bag chair and sighed. Tania sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. The doctor spoke first. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, as cheesy as this sounds, I'm here to help you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

She nodded. "Yes, you're visibly depressed and I'm here to help. We're all worried about you Bruce."

"Why?"

"Because you're upset. If I was upset, wouldn't you be at least curious as to why?"

"Of course."

"Well there you go. That's why I'm here. So come on, tell me what's up." She scooted closer to the edge of the couch and to him, leaning her elbow on the arm rest.

"Nothing," he replied immediately.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You look like a racoon. Seriously, when was the last time you slept?"

He avoided her gaze, instead choosing to stare at the white carpet. "Two days."

"Bruce…"

He raised his hands in defense. "I know, I know. Tony and I were working on a project really late the other night and before we knew it, it was time for breakfast."

"And you couldn't take a nap?"

"We spent all day preparing for the Gala."

"And last night? I mean, I know we got home late, but come on. Even I got some sleep, and I faced my biggest fear. What stopped you?"

The scientist refused to look her in the eye, wringing his hands and staring at anything and everything else he could find. Tania narrowed her eyes. He was keeping something from her. But what was it? And why wouldn't he tell her?

She leaned in closer. "Bruce… what's wrong?"

He ran his hand through his salt and pepper styled hair and sighed. "I guess there isn't really a reason for me to keep this from you…"

"No, there isn't. You can trust me. I know I'm not really an Avenger, but I'm really your friend. I'll never let you down."

"You are an Avenger."

She snorted. "Yeah, an 'honorary' one." She put air quotations around the word "honorary". "And before you say it, I'm not joining the team as some sort of musical Hulk babysitter." Bruce closed his mouth. "Tony can call me as many super hero names as he wants, but whatever the case, I'm not going to be a sidekick or a super hero or a SHIELD agent, nothing. I have my role among you guys, and that's to be there if you need me. And to wait for you guys back home." She uncrossed her legs. "But back to you. What are you so down about?"

Bruce didn't answer for a little while, staring off into space as if in another time and place. When he turned to face her, his eyes were filled with agony. "Today is Betty's birthday," he whispered.

Despite not knowing who Betty was, Tania felt the overwhelming urge to hug the man before her; so she did. She got up, walked over to him, and hugged him. "Details please," she begged with the voice of a small child.

He chuckled a bit. "I loved her."

"Loved?"

"Yeah."

"As in… past tense?"

There was another pause. "No. I… I still do. I just… I haven't seen her in years and… we broke up. I broke up with her. And now she's probably married and has kids and... and…" his voice was starting to crack.

She shushed him. She understood the situation, though she couldn't really relate. She sympathized with him and just held him as he sulked, sitting on the floor next to him. He didn't sob or sniffle, but she swore she felt water on her legs. She didn't bother checking, too afraid of jostling him.  
They sat there for who knew how long. But as time passed, Tania grew increasingly hungry. It escalated to the point where her stomach growled so loudly that they both jumped. There was a beat of shocked silence before they both burst out laughing. It wasn't a jolly laugh nor was it an awkward one. It was just quiet and genuine.

Tania stood up and brushed the dust from her legs. "Well, I'm hungry. What do you say we go out to lunch? My treat."

"Oh, no I couldn't."

"Aw, come on Bruce! It'll be good for you. Get out into the world again. Have you even been outside since we went the grocery store that wasn't for missions?"

"I went to the Gala last night."

"But we immediately got called into a mission, so that doesn't count."

"Technically I went home first, and then they called me. So I would've gone to the Gala and back without the mission anyway."

"Any other time?"

"…"

"Exactly. Come on. We can go for a nice walk."

"Didn't you already go on a walk with Steve?"

"How did you know that?" Bruce had locked himself in his room since breakfast.

He jutted his thumb towards the window behind him. "I was looking out the window at the time when you left."

"Oh, well, yeah, but we can still go."

"I think I'll pass."

"Bruce." She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you won't go out, you are either sleeping or eating. Pick one."

He sighed. He pushed off his knees to stand up. "Eat, I guess. But we're not leaving the Tower."

"Fine," she conceded, "there's a little cafeteria on the first floor we can go to. And because I work here I can get you food for free. Though if worse comes to worst I'm sure you could just use Tony's credit card that you carry around with you for some reason."

"Um, actually, I don't anymore. I don't need it."

"It came in handy when we went shopping."

"No it didn't. We didn't end up buying anything."

"Oh yeah…"

He laughed quietly and exited the room. Tania followed closely behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N. Hey guys! This chapter is really short, but I don't think I'll have much more time this week so I decided to post it as is. Fast updates! Woohoo! I was also wondering if you guys liked me having author's notes at the beginning of each chapter or if you just want to get to the story. Let me know via review! Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not own anything except Tania, Graham, other OCs, and the plot (as well as the title)**

Chapter Five

The cafeteria was bustling with life. It was half past noon and hundreds of people swarmed the floor, carrying varieties of foods from all different cultures and parts of the world. Tony went all out for his employees.

Men and women, all dressed in business suits ranging from Armani to knock-offs, walked to their different destinations with purpose, some talking on blue tooth, others chatting with co-workers, quite a few were "alone".

It was rather noisy in the giant, red and gold themed room. That is, until Tania and Bruce entered through the large double doors. As soon as they walked in, a lot of the talking performed a decrescendo until it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Banks and Banner stopped walking, aware of all the eyes on them.

Everyone knew who they were, especially after the gala the night before, where Tania and Steve had released the news of their relationship to the public. Bruce's identity had also been compromised within the past few months between the Chitauri attack and the present. Everyone he passed either glared at him for being a monster or cowered in fear. There were almost no exceptions.

He leaned over towards his companion. "Maybe we should go back," he whispered into her ear.

Tania rolled her eyes and strode forward. Bruce immediately followed, uncomfortable among the many stares they were receiving. He was certainly used to the range of emotions people had shown when he was in their presence, but he wasn't sure how the brunette would handle a situation such as this – especially one with such magnitude.

The head of SI Marketing and Advertising department marched up to the end of the line for the Indian food stand and stood, waiting. Bruce joined her soon after, adjusting his glasses and shifting nervously.

Slowly, the whispers started among the workers that continually grew louder with each passing second. The cooks started working again and the line began to move. Tania ignored the incredulous stares of everyone around her and stood close to Bruce, demonstrating her complete trust in the man she called her friend.

She trusted Bruce with her life. She trusted the Hulk with her life. She knew that neither of them would hurt her on purpose and that despite the higher chances of getting injured, she would not let that little increased percentage stop her from getting to know the scientist that came before the Other Guy.

She thought of him as a close friend, one who was calm and level-headed and patient. Though his insecurities were prominent whenever he left the safety of the Tower, she was confident that he trusted her just as much as she did him. And as a close friend, she was going to pull him out of his funk. No matter what. And screw anyone who got in her way.

Once they had their food, they sat down at a random and immaculate table for two to eat. While Bruce was accustomed to Indian food (having been in Calcutta, India before the Chitauri attack), Tania was not. She liked spicy food on occasion, but she had never had real Indian food that was expensive and virtually unpronounceable. But she was willing to try.

She stuck a bite of food in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Bruce stared at her expectantly above his glasses as he ate. Tania shot him a smile just as her mouth started to burn. "Okay… getting hotter." She quickly gulped the glass of milk she'd ordered along with her food and laughed. "Maybe I should take smaller bites."

"Or you could binge."

She laughed again. "Yeah, somehow I doubt I'd last."

"If Tony were here, he'd bet you a million dollars he could eat more than you."

She shrugged. "Well he's not here, so I won't be out a million dollars." "Or a millionaire."

She smiled. "Oh well, Tony's bad side did always come with a good side."

"True, true."

They ate in relative silence until they were both finished, only conversing with the standard small talk when the awkwardness dragged on too long. Finally, Tania couldn't take it anymore and broke. She set her fork down with a clang on the ceramic plate and looked at him with focus and determination.

He sighed and muttered something incomprehensible (and… Spanish?). She ignored it. "You have to call her."

"No."

"Bruce, it's her birthday!"

"So that gives me the right to call my ex after several years of separation with barely a reason to go off of?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Still, you need to call her. Do it tomorrow for all I care, but it needs to happen. You have to move on."

"I have moved on." She shot him a disbelieving look. "Fine, so I'm not a hundred percent over her, but I'm getting there."

"But you'll never be able to open up to anyone else until she's completely out of the picture – romantically, at least."

Bruce put down his napkin and braced both hands on the table, leaning forward with a hard look on his face. "Tania, you don't seem to understand. No girl can ever be with me. I'm too dangerous."

"I'm a girl and I'm around you all the time. What's the difference?"

"You don't get my heart racing."

She placed a hand to her heart in mock offense. "Ugh! How dare you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Relax, you're very pretty and I'm sure Steve's heart races enough for the both of us."

She laughed nervously and blushed just a little bit. Steering the conversation away from her boyfriend and herself, she continued. "So you can't have rough sex. Big deal."

"Uh, yes. Big deal. It doesn't mean "no rough sex", it means "no sex" period. Sometimes heavy make-out sessions are too much. And if something happened… if I… hulked. She would…she would be…" he pinched the bridge of his nose and sat back in his seat. He took a deep breath. "That can't happen to anyone. Not to Betty, not to you, not to some other girl, no one. I can't take the risk."

"But love is worth-"

"-the risk, yeah, I've heard the same speech from both Tony and Pepper countless times."

"Well now you're hearing it from me."

"It's not going to change my mind."

"Call her!"

"It's not going to make a difference!"

"Why not?"

"Because she'll be married and have kids and be happy!"

"And that's a bad thing? Don't you want her to be happy?"

"Of course I do! But her being happy and me being happy are two very different things."

"Bruce, you can't have it both ways. And if you really love her, you'll let her be happy."

After several seconds of contemplation, the doctor looked deep into her brown eyes and asked a question that made everything stop in its tracks.

"Would you do the same to Steve?"

His inquiry caught her off guard and she blinked a couple times in surprise. "What?"

"If you had the choice between Steve's happiness and your own, which would you pick?"

Tania stared at her empty plate as if the food stains could give her the answer. Seconds ticked by and then minutes, but still she had not answered. Would she choose Steve's happiness? She supposed it all depended on the context. What if, for Steve to be happy, she had to leave New York City for some reason (whatever that may be). She couldn't just abandon her career and other friends (the other Avengers) and her brother and… Steve. She just couldn't. Therefore, she would choose her own happiness over his.

Eventually, she stopped regarding her plate with interest and gazed up at the scientist before her who was waiting patiently for an answer. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "It all depends on the context."

Bruce raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead he took his last bite and pushed away from the table, the chair scraping against the tile floor as he did so. "I'll think about it."

Tania scrambled to catch up with him as he stalked toward the double doors. She only just caught up with him when the doors swung open, banging Bruce and knocking him straight into Tania. The two landed on the floor with an, "Oof!" as two blurs flew by. But then one of them stopped.

"Oh! Bruce! Tania! Gosh, we're so sorry! We were just in a hurry, and something awful happened, and- and-" Pepper was almost hysterical as she struggled to hold back her tears. Tony reappeared at her side as the other two got up from their awkward position on the floor.

"Pepper, calm down. What happened?" Tania walked over to her best friend and grabbed her shoulders as the red head finally broke down.

"It's Happy! He- he was in an accident. He- he- hospital-"

"Say no more." Tania interrupted. The CEO looked relieved. The brunette turned to Tony. "Lead the way."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N. Hello everyone! Sorry this one's so late (and short), but I've been swamped with work and stuff. No Steve/Tania interaction in this one, :( but in the next chapter! I promise! I also didn't really know where I was going with this chapter specifically, so I don't really like the way it ended but... eh, whatever. Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not own the Avengers, they belong to MARVEL**

Chapter 6

When the four of them (plus Natasha, who had mysteriously arrived before them) arrived at the hospital, Pepper had slid on her calm CEO demeanor like Iron Man's mask slotting into place. Her tears had dried and her back was straight. She was professional and Happy was fine. It wasn't anything life-threatening… at least, not that she knew of.

On the outside, Tony seemed completely unconcerned for his chauffeur/body guard of several years, but on the inside, the man was jittery and nervous. Only those closest to him could tell by the minute ways he unintentionally let it show. He would wrinkle his face every minute or so for a split second that displayed worry, flashing briefly in his eyes before disappearing. He would bounce his leg up and down for a bit before realizing what he was doing and physically hold it down with his hands. He tapped his arc reactor absentmindedly with his index fingernail to a slow, steady rhythm. It didn't sound panicked at all, but Pepper and the others knew better.

Natasha was completely blank. Although she knew Happy better than the other Avengers because of her work as Natalie Rushman, she had never been all that close to him. Even so, she felt it necessary to be one of the people waiting for him when he came out of this – because he would come out of this. She was sure of it.

Bruce hadn't known Mr. Hogan for very long. He'd exchanged the occasional greetings and "thank you" 's after drives and sometimes even engaged in small talk. Happy had never shown any fear towards the doctor, only wariness. Bruce had been impressed that the man didn't seem uncomfortable with the Other Guy in such close vicinity to the people he was supposed to be guarding and not to mention himself. However, he was aware that Tony spoke very highly of him to others and wouldn't have been surprised if Happy didn't even know he was the Hulk. He came along for the ride to the hospital because this was someone Tony and Pepper cared about. It was someone he knew. He couldn't just not come. What kind of person would he be if he didn't?

Tania was even more fidgety than Tony was. She kept twisting her ring around her finger over and over and over again. She bit her lip and flicked her gaze in every direction. She tapped her foot on the floor multiple times and had even resorted to pacing in front of the others in the waiting room. Happy had driven her and Pepper to more than one spa/girl day and was always friendly and cheerful. He would jump into conversations when necessary and was a very reliable person in general. Tania liked him as a friend and in being one herself, she needed to know that he was okay before she could get a wink of sleep that night. If she added her worry for him onto her recurring nightmares, she might just be living off of coffee alone for the next few years.

Finally, a doctor came out and called Tony's name. The five of them jumped up and approached her. The woman flipped a page on her clipboard and cleared her throat before looking each of them dead in the eyes. "Mr. Hogan is perfectly fine." Everyone subconsciously let out a breath most of them had been aware that they had been holding. The doctor continued. "His vitals are steady and he's awake. I can let you in three at a time."

"Isn't it usually just family?" Tony asked.

She shot him a look. "I doubt that rule would stop any of you, not to mention that his injuries aren't fatal whatsoever."

The Avengers (and honorary Avengers, aka Pepper and Tania) nodded their heads and silently agreed that Tony, Pepper, and Natasha would get to see him first. As the doctor escorted them through the double doors that swung behind them, Tania sunk down into an uncomfortable hospital chair and sighed.

Bruce sat down beside her. Several seconds after doing so, a very hesitant and gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Tania opened her eyes to see her friend trying to offer her some form of comfort through physical contact, something he wasn't very used to. Yet another reason why he should call Betty. But now wasn't the time for that.

She leaned into his touch and rested her head on his shoulder. He was very stiff at first, but eventually he slowly relaxed his muscles. Not completely, but mostly. There was always this aura of tenseness that surrounded him that she had never seen him completely without. He was always aware of the Hulk and the possibility that he could be let loose at any point in time no matter where he was or who he was with. None the less, he was more comfortable when his shoulders were slumped than when they were straight.

"Bruce," she whispered, catching his attention, "you really should call her." She knew that now wasn't the time. She also knew that this was just a distraction for her own selfish needs. But in a way, she was helping him at the same time. It was a win-win situation.

The man beside her sighed, not quite in exasperation, but like a parent who had told their kid one too many times the same thing. "I told you I'd think about it."

"You've had plenty of time to think about it."

"It's only been an hour."

"See? Plenty."

"Tania, there are so many variables and risks and guaranteed consequences just with that one phone call…"

"Do you want me to call her?"

That got his attention. He jumped violently and stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. "What? No! Of course not! You don't even have her number!"

"I'm sure Tony could find it easily enough, what with all the hacking he does."

"Tania, this is not okay! You can't just intrude in my personal life like it's your own! Because it's not!" He huffed, obviously annoyed but Tania knew him enough to know that he wasn't anywhere near angry. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I appreciate that you're trying to help me and all, but I just need some time to think. Alone. That's all I ask."

Tania understood. She nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just… I didn't want to think about…"

"I know."

There was a lengthy silence between them as they sat in relative proximity to one another. It wasn't awkward or tense, but rather calm and mature. Tania picked up a magazine while Bruce started playing on his phone. He'd branched off from Angry Birds and started playing Temple Run.

Suddenly, the doors to the patients' rooms swung open dramatically, revealing none other than Tony Stark, followed by Pepper and Natasha as well as the doctor from before. Tania and Bruce wordlessly followed her through the doorway, exchanging nods of assurance with the others who took their places in the waiting room.

"He's got a broken leg and a slight concussion with a couple bruises and scratches here and there. Other than that, he is perfectly fine," the doctor explained as she led them to Happy. "He's on a bit of pain medication so he may seem slightly woozy. It's completely normal and you don't have to worry about a thing." She pushed back the curtain to reveal the Stark chauffeur lying in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown.

Tania entered the room with Bruce shadowing her and sat down on the chairs on either side of him. Happy's doctor left without another word.

"Hey Happy," Tania greeted, "how's the pain?"

He shrugged. "Faint, but there."

She nodded. "Understandable." She wanted to ask what had happened but she bit down on her lip to prevent herself from doing so. It may have been a totally traumatic experience for him for all she knew. She shouldn't ask just in case. However, Happy seemed to read her mind and started explaining the accident anyway.

"I was just turning a corner when this other guy comes speeding down the road from behind me and turns the same corner as me, only way too sharply. He ended up spinning the wheel too much and hit the tail end of the limo, which, of course, sent the vehicle twirling. Unfortunately, I was driving the stretch, so I kind of blocked traffic as I tried to get the car under control and another car ended up crashing into the passenger side. I kind of blacked out after that. But hey, when you drive cars for a living, it was bound to happen sometime." He shrugged again.

Bruce frowned. "That's not a very good way of looking at things."

"It is how it is, Doc."

"And you're… totally okay with this?"

"Yeah. One broken bone that will heal in a few weeks' time and tons of pain meds with people babying for the whole time. What's not to like?"

"Uh, the accident where you almost died? The memory? The pain? The inconvenience?" Tania shot one after another. She was appalled at his positivity. It may have been a side effect of the drug he was taking, but still. It had been a month since her kidnapping and she still had nightmares sometimes. Granted, she had gotten a lot better and the dreams only came a few times a month. But she had a permanent fear of heights now. It had scarred her.

"Well, that all goes away. Maybe not right away, but it does go away. I'll be driving you guys around again in no time."

"Not for a long while I hope."

Before Happy could answer, the doctor came back in. "Okay, I have a couple other people here to see Mr. Hogan. I have a Royce Hogan and a Carol Hogan."

Happy nodded. "Let 'em in. See ya guys." He waved to the two friends as they were swiftly ushered out of the room all the way to the waiting room with the others.

As soon as they got there, Tony stood up. "So, I'm in the mood for Greek, are you in the mood for Greek? Let's have Greek."

Everyone rolled their eyes.

**A.N. Also, just btw, I totally made Royce and Carol up. In my head, Royce is Happy's brother and Carol is Royce's wife. (Get it? Ca****_ROL ROYCE_****... like the car? I think it's a car... I'm not good with this stuff. Anyway, stay tuned for some fluff and Peter's return (however brief) :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N. Hey guys! I think you'll like this chapter a LOT better than the last one. And don't worry, I had a reason for Happy getting in a car accident and it will come up soon, just not in this chapter. And I'm sorry that I haven't been giving you a lot of Steve/Tania fluff but it's there, just in small doses. When they travel back in time (no spoiler because it was in the summary) it will be completely focused on them, but I wanted a few things established before they left. And I love the other Avengers. I'm going to see Iron Man 3 this weekend! EEEEEEEEEEH! I am SOOOOO excited :D It looks amazing! On Sunday, if any of you want to discuss it feel free to PM me or even review if you really want to. I don't mind. One last thing, I haven't been getting many new followers or favs or even reviewers lately, it's always the same people. Don't get my wrong, I love you guys to death, but I was just wondering if you guys had any ideas as to maybe why my story has lost some people's interests? There's also a poll on my profile about Steve/Tania's couple name :D So go vote and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer that I only do for the first ten chapters - I don't own the Avengers**

Chapter 7

The next day was Monday, which meant that Tania had to go back to work as head of the Marketing and Advertising department. She got dressed in her dark violet business suit that was so close to black it was almost impossible to see, and slipped on her most tolerable heels. She put her hair up in a bun and applied the minimal makeup: foundation and some chap stick. Okay, so that last one didn't technically count as makeup. But she still needed it that day.

She left the mirror satisfied and headed to the elevator for breakfast. She woke up to Michael Bublé every morning now thanks to JARVIS and she listened to it happily as she made her way to the kitchen/dining room. When she arrived, the music immediately dimmed in order to hear the conversations and voices of the others in the room.

Tony, Bruce, Thor, and Steve were the only ones in the room. Kind of confused, Tania walked over to the four men standing around the bar talking. She waited for a break in conversation (or for someone to notice her, whichever came first) and spoke.

"Hi." She raised her hand in greeting and everyone turned to her, smiling to different degrees. Thor, being the joyful man (or God, or maybe it was Demi-God… she never knew which… she'd have to ask him one of these days) he was, grinned and waved back enthusiastically. Bruce gave a closed mouthed smile and a nod, but she could tell that he was sincere. Tony's expression barely changed, but he did look happier in some way she couldn't explain, and he saluted her in greeting. Steve appeared extremely happy to see her and gently wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. She placed her hands on his chest and leaned into him. She would never get used to this feeling.

She turned to the others again. "So where is everyone?" she asked, turning to look around yet again at the very large kitchen with minimal occupants.

"Well," Tony began, "Platypus went back to base, Legolas and his girlfriend are on a mission, and Pepper is on a business flight to Canada for the day. The three of them should be back by nightfall."

Tania nodded her head in understanding. "That makes sense, but with Pepper and Clint not here, who's going to cook?"

"That's what we were just discussing," Steve told her. "You and I can't cook, so we're out."

"The last time I tried to cook something, I lit the food, myself, and everything flammable in the kitchen on fire." Tony piped up. "Guess I'm out too." He didn't seem all that depressed by it.

"I am a decent maker of Midgardian foods, however I only know how to make scrambled eggs." Thor spoke up, surprising everyone.

"You can cook?" Tania asked incredulously. She hadn't meant to sound that surprised, it just came out that way.

He nodded. "Yes, my Lady Jane has showed me many Midgardian things such as making breakfast that is not Pop Tarts."

"That makes sense. Have we taught you anything on Earth? Just out of curiousity…"

Thor laughed. "Of course! My team has taught me many things that I would never have learned back on Asgard. I am extremely grateful to you all for showing me such things." He patted Steve and Tony's backs at the same time with the same amount of force, sending the both of them (and by extension Tania) surging forward and barely catching themselves on the counter before falling. Bruce chuckled at the show.

"I… can cook pretty well. I mostly know foreign foods from Brazil and India and that sort of thing, but I like to think I can imitate it enough to taste good."

After a fast and easy recovery, Tania stood straighter at that idea. "Ooh, exotic food. I like that idea. Though it makes me wonder why you guys didn't just call for takeout. I mean, I know no one does takeout for breakfast but come on, he's Tony Stark!" The man himself smirked at the attention. "This problem would have been easily solved if Bruce or Thor couldn't cook."

"I wonder if Natasha can cook…" Tony thought aloud, probably imagining her in just an apron and cooking. Tania reached across the counter and smacked his arm. That somehow only made the smirk stretch wider.

"So… Bruce, are willing to cook for us? Please?" she asked, adding the "please" at the last minute.

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, but these things take time. So go occupy yourselves until then." He rolled up his sleeves started searching for ingredients with the help of JARVIS as the others filed out of the kitchen area and into the dining area. They sat at the table with Steve and Tania opposite Tony and Thor.

"Let's play truth or dare," Tony suggested.

"No." was Tania's immediate response.

Steve and Thor both looked pretty clueless as to what "Truth or Dare" was. Tania turned to explain to them.

"It's a game teenage girls often play during sleepovers to get them to spill secrets or else do something really embarrassing. I've played it before, it's not fun." She didn't like thinking about her roommate days, they brought back bad memories.

Steve seemed to sense that and also vetoed the idea. Thor, however, seemed ready to spill whatever secrets he may have and he rarely got embarrassed. It was two against two. After a bit of persuading, Tania finally agreed just to shut them up. I am sooo going to regret this, she thought as she banged her head on the table."

"I'll start!" Tony offered, "Capsicle, have you ever-"

"Wait, how does the game work?" Steve interrupted, understanding the consequences but not so much the rules (or the point).

Tony snapped his fingers. "Right. Okay, so I'm going to ask you a question and you have to answer it truthfully. If you don't want to answer, then I get to tell you to do a dare, anything I want." He stared at the man with a mischievous glare. "Anything," he emphasized.

Steve bit back the urge to gulp and nodded. "I think I understand. But what if I refuse to do both?"

"You can't refuse."

"Why not?"

"Because that's the rules. And you don't break rules."

"If they're given by someone of high authority. This is a children's game."

Tony dismissed the thought and waved his hand as if trying to swipe a fly half-heartedly. "Rules are rules. How about this, if you don't answer it, no breakfast."

"What do you mean?"

"It means, the second that food is in front of you I'll shoot it with this." He pointed to the ring on his finger and pressed the middle gold button that was surrounded by red. The ring started unfolding like an automatic machine and traveled up his fingers and down his palm, covering it in a glove that resembled the one on his Iron Man suit. It even had a repulsor which he pointed at Steve. "Poof! Ash."  
Steve glared at him. "Fine, whatever, just ask the stupid question."

Tony clapped his hands together, which made a loud metal sound that reverberated throughout the room. He didn't seem to notice. "Great. Let's get straight down to the juicy stuff. When was your first kiss with Piggy Bank over here and describe it in detail."

The couple in question both blushed, complimenting one another perfectly. You just made a big mistake, Stark. You just reminded me about my revenge for the whole "Hulk calls me Piggy Bank" thing. Just you wait. Tania was barely able to hide her smirk.

"Dare." Steve mumbled quietly.

Tony's grin was so wide that she thought it would split his face in half. It didn't. Too bad. "I dare you to go up there," he pointed to the kitchen that was only a step more elevated than the dining room, "and kiss Bruce. I don't care where, just do it."

At this point, Steve was absolutely cringing and was red just about everywhere. Tania was embarrassed for him just thinking about it. She grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. "Just answer the question," she whispered.

He glanced at her. "You wouldn't… mind?"

She shrugged. "I'd rather that than to see you kiss someone else, even if it is Bruce." She smiled and he returned it, some of the blush fading from his face.

He turned back to Tony. "Truth."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "You sure?"

He looked back at his girlfriend who nodded. "Yeah."

"Then by all means." Tony sat back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the table, lacing his fingers together behind his head as he tipped backward.

"Well, it was back when the whole 'Neil' thing happened," he started. Tania was very proud of herself for not reacting to that name. She was kind of curious to hear his point of view of their kiss, she had to admit. "We were in his mansion, and we were running. The Hulk was chasing us," he chanced a look at Bruce, who was still cooking, unable to hear anything over the roar of the hood fan and the stoves. "We ended up at this tower with a spiral staircase encircling the walls. We ran up the stairs as fast as we could but the Hulk was faster. He burst in through the doors below us and leaped to the top. I… I threw myself over Tania and when he was gone, sunlight streamed through the new skylight." His eyes glazed over, as if he were reliving the memory. He subconsciously pulled on her Tania's hand, encouraging her to scoot her chair closer to his and lean her head on his chest. "We just stood there, waiting for what came up to come back down. But he did. And we just… kissed."

When he didn't continue, Tony urged him on. "Come on, man! What did it feel like?" Steve started to get hot.

He cleared his throat. "Well, um, it felt…" he seemed at a loss for words. She knew that he knew that if he said something like "nice" or "good" that he would be in big trouble. Finally he looked up and stared Tania in the eyes. "Epic."

She couldn't help but smile nice and wide, wrapping her arms around his midsection and hugging him, burying her face into his chest. It was kind of an awkward position, but she didn't care – too much. She pulled away after a minute.

"Don't forget the embers."

"I didn't. I couldn't. When we opened our eyes-"

"Twenty minutes later!" Tony coughed and interrupted. Everyone ignored him.

"-it was raining embers. I think they were from Clint's exploding arrow. But even so, it felt like a sign. A sign that we were meant to be together." He couldn't stop staring at Tania's face, like he was lost in the depth of her brown eyes and oblivious to everything else around him. She felt the same way. They were just about to kiss when-

"Breakfast is ready!" Bruce called, breaking the two out of their trances and causing them both to blush, somewhat embarrassed at almost kissing (which would probably lead to making out – that seemed to happen a lot lately) at the table. The doctor set down two plates of food which Tony and Thor immediately dove for.

Once the meal was served and Bruce was sitting with the rest of them, they continued their game – much to everyone but Tony's chagrin. Steve had asked Thor how he was before he came to Earth, and the God replied that he was arrogant and cocky and oblivious. He then challenged Bruce to tell them of his romantic endeavors, to which he refused and took the dare. He ended up licking the floor and then promptly washing his tongue a few times over. After that, Bruce had asked Tony to imagine a life without money. It took the guy a few minutes to answer, never having had anything like that to compare to. Finally he answered that he would probably be dead, poor, or unhappy because he would have never had Pepper or the Iron Man suit. Everyone knew that the unspoken third variable was the team, even if he never said it.

After that, Tania headed off to work while Tony tinkered in his lab with Bruce, Thor skyped Jane, and Steve trained or painted in their art gallery. That's right, his art gallery was now their art gallery. It had started when she gave him a couple sketches of various things like the Tower with only the A on it (which Tony had yet to get fixed) and the team as a whole in action poses as ideas for the biography cover. She had asked his opinion and he promptly told her that they were wonderful right before kissing her senseless.

She started giving her more of her artwork after that. As gifts, as rewards, as recompense, sometimes just as an excuse to make out. But a lot of her works had been featured in his gallery and eventually he had declared it, "ours". It was strange how that word had such a huge effect on her. She wasn't getting married for goodness sake, she was just sharing a room. A room that neither of them ever slept in. So why did her stomach explode into millions of tiny butterflies whenever he said that word referring to them? Why did her heart and lungs feel like warm honey? Why was the smile on her face involuntary? She wondered if this was how he felt too. Maybe that was why he said it so much.

Tania blinked. It was time to get back to reality. She had quite a few interviews booked that day for photographers to take pictures of Tony Stark for the biography that was due to come out in December. Just in time for Christmas. She had already found a well-known author to agree with the budget Tony had given her for this project and he had started a couple weeks before. There was still a lot of planning that went into publishing a book. Designing a cover would have to be one of them. She wanted it to be a photo so that the readers could get a sense that Tony was real and not just someone they saw on TV all the time. A photo of him just doing regular, everyday things. Not that Tony did regular things. But still.

She sat through quite a few interviews with various photographers that ranged from twenty to fifty years old. None of them seemed quite right for the job. The kind of photos they wanted to take were of Iron Man and his incredible conquests or simply for their own needs such as selling the photos for the big bucks. Oh no, Tania wouldn't hire just anybody. This person needed to be trusted, needed to see things the way she did, and needed to know his/her stuff about cameras.

After her lunch break, she started the interviews up again. "Hey Drew, can you please call in a Peter Parker?" she asked her co-worker.

"Sure thing." The blonde stood up and left the office that Tania had acquired once she'd become head of the department. It was the empty one across from Pepper's she had filled the application forms in the day she met Steve. It was perfect.

Drew wasn't her personal assistant or anything, just someone who didn't want to do any real work and Tania was happy to have a helper and someone she liked to talk to in between interviews. Although the two of them had grown apart, they talked frequently and joked and altogether enjoyed each other's company. Though their friendship would never exceed that of hers and the other Avengers, not by a long shot.

It was the same way with Peter Steel, her other co-worker who had bartended the Stark party she'd been invited to on the day she moved into the Tower. The three of them often formed conversations with one another more often than any of the others and Tania felt that the two of them understood this business side of her better than anyone; maybe even Steve, seeing as how he had never really seen her at work.

John and Mindy were on and off all the time, not that Tania cared. Mindy was just one of those people you automatically don't like. It's not that their specifically mean or anything, you just clash with them almost to the point of hatred. It was a pretty inexplicable thing, but that was how she felt. The feeling appeared to be mutual. Though neither of them ever acted on their feelings, there was electricity in the room whenever they were forced to converse for work purposes as they glared at each other and spoke with venom.

By association, John was trapped in the middle. The guy was tall and thin and pretty quiet, never talked much. He was nice, but he was just so… boring. His face was always the same expression, he wore very similar clothes with no colours every day, his hair was never different, his tone was flat at all times, it got frustrating. So Tania avoided talking to him and Mindy at all costs.

That was why she chose Drew. The two of them had hit it off when Tania came to SI her first day, and they'd been friends ever since. Though they almost never hung out outside of work, they often did anything they could do outside while at work, so it didn't really affect anything.

When the subject of her thoughts came back with a teenager in tow, Tania had to blink away her surprise. One of the requirements for the job was a college degree in photography and a year's worth of experience. Maybe she guessed his age wrong but she doubted he could be much older than twenty. As soon as he saw her he stopped in his tracks, eyes widened ever so slightly, as if in recognition.

Tania stood up as Drew exited again, checking out Peter Parker's behind and winking at her before leaving. Tania resisted the urge to roll her eyes and stuck out her hand over the desk despite the fact that his shock had barely worn off. "Hello, my name is Tania Banks. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The boy replied hesitantly, suddenly a lot more nervous than before. Something in his voice triggered something in Tania: a vision of her dangling from a rope. Quick as a flash it was gone and she shook her head clear, ignoring the tightening of her stomach.

"Have a seat Mr. Parker." She gestured to his chair across from her and he promptly sat down. She followed suit and crossed her legs under her desk, clasping her hands above it. "Before we start, may I just ask how old you are?"

Peter cleared his throat. "Um, seventeen."

That hit her hard. "Seventeen? Aren't you still in high school?"

He scratched the back of his neck, something else that seemed familiar but she couldn't put her finger on how... "Uh, yeah."

She started gathering his papers. "Well, then I'm sorry Mr. Parker, but the requirements clearly state that-"

"Wait! Wait!" he interrupted hastily, waving his hands back and forth to prevent her from dismissing him just yet. She paused, looking at him curiously. "I have a year's experience. I'm a photographer for the Daily Bugle. And I'm on my way to getting a college degree in photography. Please, just give me a chance." He sounded so desperate. She had no idea what for, but she decided to throw requirements out the window. Maybe he had some sort of promise to show her.

"Alright, fine," she conceded. He fist-pumped and she raised a brow. Realizing what he just did, he blushed and sat on his hands. She laughed.

"Don't worry Peter, I'm taking your age into account. If I were you I might have done the same thing." Gosh, she felt so old talking to this boy. She was only about seven years older than him, but it still felt like a really long time. Because let's face it, seven years is a really long time. "So, if we were to hire you here at Stark Industries as a photography, what kind of pictures would you take?"

"Whatever ones you tell me."

Not bad. "But what if I gave you free reign?"

He stopped to think, assessing his own answer carefully. "Well, seeing as it's a biography that goes deeper into Mr. Stark's consciousness, I would probably take photos of him doing menial tasks like cooking and stuff."

Tania couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping her lips. The boy looked kind of insulted and disappointed. She rushed to stop the flow of thoughts that were obviously flooding his brain. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark can't cook."

He chuckled nervously. "Uh, yeah, well… um, other things too."

"Hmm…" this teenager had potential. With over a year's experience and obviously a huge interest in the photography, Peter also shared her view in the types of pictures she wanted in the book. So far so good. "And if I told you to take photos which you think are ridiculously bad, what would you do in that situation?"

Peter pressed his lips together. "I would probably tell you my opinion, but if you were still adamant on the other photos then I would listen to you. I mean, you would be my boss, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, you and I would be seeing a lot of each other."

He suddenly looked a bit worried. Tania couldn't help but find that insulting. He quickly plastered on a calm face though. "Well, I-" just then his phone rang. _His phone._ During an interview. She got that he was a teenager and all, but seriously? He couldn't even put it on silent? To his credit, Peter looked totally spooked and didn't even reach for his phone. However his ring tone kept ringing. His blush crept up his neck with each passing second until Tania laughed.

"Just answer it."

He blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, I had already given you the job in my head. It's too late for me to change my mind." She winked and he grinned before answering his phone.

"Hello?" he said as he walked out of the room. "Yeah it's me!" he laughed as the door automatically closed behind him. That last sentence sent Tania for a loop. It was déjà-vu. But who else had said that? She had never met this guy before, yet his voice and what he says reminded her of something. It was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't reach into the depths of her mind and pull the memory back. Who was this kid?

When he came back, he had a goofy smile on his face and Tania had a sneaking suspicion that the caller was his girlfriend. He plopped down in his chair and looked up at her. "So where were we?"

"I believe I was about to hire you." His grin stretched even wider. She grabbed the papers and handed them to him along with a Stark Industries pen. "Just fill these out and you'll be good to go. Work starts tomorrow night at six. You'll come to the Tower by the lobby and I'll escort you up to the lounge where you'll take pictures of Tony in his environment. I've already warned the others of a photographer's presence so once you're introduced our lives will carry on like normal and you get to click away."

Peter took the papers and read through them quickly, signing them wherever they needed to be signed. Once that was finished they both stood up and shook hands. "It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Parker."

"The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Banks. Trust me." Now she really felt old. Sure, JARVIS called her Ms. Banks all the time. But it was different when a kid was calling her that like she was a teacher or something.

Before they could let go of each other's hands, Drew came running in looking panicked. "Tania! One of the photographers! He-!"

Peter tackled Tania to the floor right before the gunshot fired… as if he could predict that it would happen. They hit the ground rather harshly as the bullet bounced off the wall and right next to their faces. Peter shoved her under the desk and peeked out from behind it. Drew had taken cover in the corner of the room next to the door so that if someone were to enter they would most likely pass her. Smart.

In the doorway, was a man with a gun. He walked into the room, passing Drew like he hadn't seen her. While the automatic door was still open, she scrambled out into the hallway just before it closed. Tania watched from under the desk through the crack between it and the floor. Though she didn't blame her friend for running, she still felt a bit of abandonment. Hopefully JARVIS had contacted the other Avengers for help.

There was also a panic button under her desk. Tania didn't hesitate to press it. Nothing happened. She prayed it was a silent alarm. Everything was quiet enough to head a pin drop from across the floor. Another gunshot went off straight through the wall of the desk and Tania screamed. The two of them jumped apart as the bullet was shot between them, making a hole in her desk. The table was then kicked over and the two of them just barely managed to escape unscathed, crawling backward into they hit the wall.

The man aimed his gun at Tania's heart that had gone from beating regularly to pounding like mad in the few seconds that had passed. The only door was behind the shooter and the only window was above her and the only vent was on the ceiling. She was doomed.

Peter didn't seem very scared, only worried and hesitant. He spared her one indecisive glance before hardening his resolve and squaring his jaw. He braced both hands and feet against the wall behind him and then launched himself at the attacker, knocking him over as another gunshot went off, hitting the vent that Tania was glad Clint hadn't been hiding in (he tended to that sometimes).

Acting on complete instinct and no thought whatsoever, Tania pushed herself to her feet and leaped over the fallen desk to the two men fighting. The shooter still had his gun in his hand so she dove for it. She grappled with his wrist while Peter held him off and wrangled the gun from his hands, pointing it the man's face. He stilled and Peter stopped punching him. The boy slowly stood up, never removing his eyes from the shooter.

In a last ditch attempt, the man kicked his legs out towards Peter, but he leaped into the air and flipped, hitting the ceiling like a cat in those old cartoons, except he wasn't scared or clawing at the ceiling. He was calm and landed in a stance similar to that of Natasha's whenever she was thrown and he literally stuck to the top of the room. That was when it hit her. In her shock, the gun slipped through fingers.

"It's you."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N. Hiya! Here's chapter eight a lot sooner than I had planned. It's a bit on the short side but it serves my purpose. The next chapter should be longer and angstier as well as fluffy and... wait for it... steamy. Of course, this fic is rated T so T it shall be, but now that they're a couple they're obviously going to start wanting more and more of each other. The next chapter really starts to show that so you have that to look forward to (or not, depending on what you like). Also, don't forget to vote for your fav couple name for Steve/Tania on my poll! Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers or Peter Parker. I own Tania and Graham and anyone else you don't recognize from somewhere else.**

Chapter 8

Peter Parker… Spider-man. Spider-man… Peter Parker. This was the boy who had resurrected her nightmares and her fears, who had strung her from the ceiling by the Hulk, who had almost webbed her mouth shut to keep her from swearing. This was the guy she had just hired for Stark Industries.

In her shock, the gun clattered to the ground. The shooter made a move for it but Tania used her impressively pointy high heeled shoes to stomp on his wrist before he could, making him cry out in pain. He grabbed her ankle with his other hand and she kicked the man in the face with her free foot. To keep him rooted to the spot, she looked up at Peter.

"Do it." Without hesitation, the teenage super hero bent his fingers in that way that he did and webbed the man to the floor. She looked up at Peter as she stepped away from the attacker. Before she could say anything, he flipped down and beat her to the punch.

"Ms. Banks, I am so sorry. That day in the mall, I was only trying to help! I never meant to… to be a hindrance. I just… I'm sorry." He looked so bashful that Tania wanted to forgive him on the spot. Ever since the encounter, Tania had googled Spider-man and read up on him. She knew that he stopped crime and worked for the side of good. And now she knew his secret identity and that he was just an adolescent boy. He really did sound sincere.

She softened. "You'll fit in with us just fine."

He beamed at her. At that moment, the automatic door exploded into shards of glass as Iron Man flew through the entrance, followed closely by Steve, Bruce, and Thor. She smiled at them exasperatedly.

"Hey guys! Nice of you to join the party. Nice entrance Tony, though it's getting kind of repetitive."

"Tania!" Steve rushed over to her and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt? What-?"

She kissed him to shut him up, but it was short and chaste. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself, as proven by Natasha's wonderful training. Some random guy posing as a photographer I'm supposed to interview just barged in and tried to shoot me." She turned to the guy who was currently stuck to the floor and looking like he was going to pee his pants. "As you can see, I had a little help."

Everyone turned to Peter who shrugged, the blush creeping up his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, hi. Yeah, we kinda started off on the wrong foot." He held out his hand for any one of them to take. "I'm Spider-man."

The second the words left his lips, Steve shoved Tania behind him protectively, Tony's repulsors burned brighter, Thor swung his hammer that came out of nowhere, and Bruce blinked. He did not remember much about that night.

Tania rolled her eyes. They were so overprotective. "Guys, this is Peter Parker. He's the photographer I hired to take pictures for Iron Man's biography."

"What?" Steve turned to face her, shock written all over his face. "But he-!"

"Just saved my life. And he's shown more promise than anyone else I've interviewed all day. And since he'll be hanging around the Avengers a lot, we'll know that he can defend himself should anything happen. It's perfect."

"And you… forgive him? Just like that?"

She bit her lip. "Now I never said that." She looked Peter dead in the eye. "He'll have to work for it, but I know that he can do it. As for this guy," she frowned, "who the hell is he and why does he want to kill me?"

Tony nudged the man with his metal-encased foot. "Jarvis, run a scan and find me info on him ASAP."

"As you wish, Sir." The AI replied. A few seconds later, Tony's suit beeped. "Homer Cavalier, thirty eight years of age and recently released from prison after serving ten years."

"For what?"

"… I'd rather not say."

"Bring up the file." Of course, Tony would be the only one to see it in his helmet. "Son of a bitch!" he cried out, kicking the man's thigh rather hard. He yelped and snapped his mouth shut.

"What is it?" Steve asked, almost panicked.

"You don't want to know." Before anyone could object, the billionaire kneeled down to the shooter and pointed a repulsor at his face. "What do you want?" He practically growled the question.

"What a lot of people want – for you to suffer." He answered, glaring at each of the Avengers present in turn. "Now that the world knows you're his girlfriend," he said, addressing Tania, "there's a huge red target on your back that says, 'I'm their weakness! Come and get me!'. It was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"So you just waltzed in and decided to shoot me?!" she asked, fury in her eyes.

He snorted. "I was never going to shoot you. Threaten and kidnap you, yes. Kill you? No. What would be the point in that?"

"But why?" she emphasized.

"These so-called "Mightiest Heroes" can't just appear out of nowhere, fight some aliens, have the government try and blow up Manhattan, and expect everyone to love them. Before they got here, there were no aliens! There weren't anything!"

"The Avengers saved the world! You can't possibly blame them for what happened! And you certainly can't-"

"I was this close to seeing my wife and family again!" the man shouted, struggling with his bonds. "I had one week left until I could get out, but then the attack happened and when I did get out they were all dead! They waited for me for ten years and they never stopped loving or supporting me and they died before I could ever return it! They died because of those mother fucking aliens and their enemies, the Avengers. You can all go to hell for what you did! All of you!" He was rolling around, trying to break the strong webs that glued him to the floor.

There was a small beat of silence as they took in all that he had said. It was true. Well, parts of it. At the Stark Gala, Steve and Tania had made their relationship public and now the whole world knew who she was and how much she mattered to the Avengers. They'd known how dangerous it was when they'd revealed it, but like Steve said, it was bound to happen eventually. They just didn't think it would be so soon.

The poor man would have probably gone crazy in prison had it not been for his family, his family which was now dead. It had probably driven him over the brink of insanity. Still, Tania did not fancy being killed.

"So what are we going to do with him?" she asked the others.

"Take him back to jail, obviously." Tony replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"He would just plead insanity and probably win. He seems pretty insane to me."

"Then we'll take him to a home."

"You do that."

"Right now?"

"You want to keep him in my office?"

"Point taken."

"She always has good points," Steve mumbled to himself. Tania was the only one who heard and she blushed slightly.

Iron Man grabbed the man and ripped him from the ground, throwing him over his shoulder and taking off through the lobby. Several screams were heard as he zoomed away.

"So, let me get this straight," Peter spoke up, waving his hands in front of him in confusion. He pointed to Tania and Steve. "You two are dating, so that guy posed as a photographer to kidnap Ms. Banks in an attempt to get to Captain Rogers. Mr. Stark just flew him off to put him in some sort of home for the insane, and I was just hired to be a photographer for Stark Industries."

"Sounds about right," Bruce confirmed.

Peter fist-pumped. "Awesome!" He received blank stares. "I-I mean that last part."

Tania laughed. "Yes, we know. However, even though I'm your boss now, I'd rather you called me Tania. It makes me feel old when you call me Ms. Banks." She wrinkled her nose.

"How old are you?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"Don't answer that!" Bruce warned, "It's a trick question."

Tania rolled her eyes as Peter answer. "Um, twenty-one?"

She smiled. "I like you. But no, I'm twenty-four."

"But that makes you older than Captain America."

She shrugged. "What can I say? He's mature for his age. Oh, and thanks."

"For what?"

"For saving me."

"Oh, uh, no big deal." He started to blush.

"I'll see you to tomorrow Mr. Parker."

"Uh, okay, hold up. If you're Tania, I'm Peter."

She smiled. "I hoped you'd say that. See you tomorrow Peter, and don't be late."

"I won't!" he called as he exited the room giddily.

Steve took her hand in his. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "Positive. Come on, I'm taking the rest of the day off and I'm not spending it in here. Tony needs to fix my door. And my desk." She added as an afterthought. She bent down to pick up the picture frame that had fallen to the floor when Homer had knocked over her desk. The glass was shattered by the photo remained unharmed. It was of her and Graham as kids when their Aunt had taken them to the zoo. She smiled at it.

"Okay everyone, let's go."

The four of them made their way to the elevator. "I think I'll head up to the lab. I was in the middle of something when the alarm went off." Bruce stated.

Tania snapped her fingers. "So the panic button does work."

He nodded. "Yeah, it's just silent."

"I knew it."

The elevator doors opened to let the doctor out.

"I shall retire to my chamber for the time being. Jane awaits me on the… um…" he scrunched up his face in thought.

"Laptop?" Tania guessed, "Phone? Computer? Tablet?"

"Yes. A tablet." The doors opened. "Farewell my friends. I wish you all happy tidings and am glad that you are okay, Lady Tania." He bowed slightly before the doors closed again.

Steve and Tania were alone. Neither one pressed a button. JARVIS seemed to know something they didn't because the elevator started moving without their consent. Neither of them minded or cared. Steve took her hand and pressed it against his heart, staring her in the eyes as he stepped closer.

"Tania, when that alarm went off… I thought I might have lost you a second time."

Her heart was breaking at the look in his eyes. He had already lost so much, she didn't know how much more losing he could take. She placed both hands on his chest and came forward even more. "You won't lose me. Ever."

He cupped the back of her neck with his right palm and touched his forehead to hers. "I better not." He was about to kiss her when the doors opened, startling the two just enough to avoid lip contact as they both turned to see where they had arrived.

They were on Steve's floor. Getting an idea, Steve grabbed her hand and tugged her into the hallway. He led her into their gallery before letting go and grabbing a blank canvas and an easel. "Paint with me."

She smiled. "I'm not much of a painter Steve, I prefer drawing."

"Come on, try!"

"I have." She gestured to her side of the room that was littered with paintings and sketches and coloured drawings. "I'm not very good at it."

He pecked her cheek. "I think you're wonderful at it. Come on, we can spend some quality time together."

"I think I'd rather go on another date."

"Later in the week, I promise. But right now, I just want to paint."

"Alright fine." The two pulled up stools so that they sat back to back with their easels and canvases in front of them. Before long, they began to paint.

But something caught Tania's eye before she could add another colour besides red. She stood up and walked over to the painting that was hidden behind all the others on Steve's side of the room. She pulled it out just as he turned, having noticed the lack of warmth at his back. They both froze.

"Steve… what is this?"

**A/N. :O Cliff hangers! I know how much you guys hate those but I like them. Plus, this is a pretty mild cliff hanger. Hope you guys don't mind :D ... too much. ;P**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N. Hi everyone! Quick chapter here, hope you guys like. Don't forget about the poll (so far Stania is winning) and I have trailer scripts for these two stories that I'll post on my profile soon so you guys can keep a lookout for that. Enjoy :D**

**I don't own the Avengers**

Chapter 9

"It's… exactly what it looks like," Steve replied hesitantly.

Tania couldn't take her eyes off of the painting in her hands. It was beautiful. It was also of Peggy Carter. The agent wore black trousers and a dark brown zipped up leather jacket with a light grey collared shirt and green tie underneath. Her hair was down and her lips were ruby red. The painting was only of the knees and up. She held a machine gun in her hands facing the ground as she stared at something in the top left corner of the canvas. She looked determined and frankly somewhat pissed off. Everything about the piece screamed, "I'm in charge".

And it was so realistic. Tania felt like she could reach out and touch the woman's hand if she wanted to. But she didn't. Because this was the woman Steve had loved just a few months before. Had it really only been a few months? Technically it was approximately seventy years, but to Steve…  
She turned to face him. "And… why was it hiding?" She could barely hide the apprehension and fear that he would always love someone else more than her in her voice. Her throat had all but closed up and her eyes were starting to well with tears. She would rather die than let them fall though. Okay, so that may have been an exaggeration. But still.

Steve spun his stool around completely so that they were face to face. "It wasn't. You found it easily enough."

"But it was behind two other paintings."

"So?"

"Did you not want me to see it?"

"If I didn't want you to see it, I wouldn't have hidden it in our gallery."

Tania bit her lip. "If you don't mind my asking… why did you pain this?" She held up the canvas in her hands.

Steve shrugged. "I… had a dream." He turned around and went back to his newest creation. Tania wasn't satisfied with his answer.

She stepped closer. "A dream… about Peggy?" Her voice was starting to waver. She prayed that he didn't notice.

"About life back then. When I woke up… that image stuck with me. I had the urge to put it on a canvas so that I wouldn't forget. I couldn't live with myself if ever forgot what it was like back then." He hung his head, his arms going limp at his sides.

"You won't forget. You think about it too much."

He gave a dry laugh. "That's what you always say."

"Well it's sort of true. I mean, on every date we've ever been on, you reference your time back in the forties."  
He spun around to face her again. "Name one time."

"Our first date. You took me to the war museum and we stared at nineteen-forties relics for three hours. The other day, when we went to the park. You said, 'when I was a boy, we didn't have this and that…' blah, blah, blah. You took me to go see a silent movie playing in the mall parking lot that was in black and white. When we-"

"Okay, I get it!" He raised his hands in defeat. "I talk about too much. I just won't tell you anything then." He went back to his painting.

Tania sighed and put down the depiction of her boyfriend's lost love. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her chin on his left shoulder and kissing his cheek. "I'm not saying you shouldn't talk about it, I'm just saying that you bring it up so often that it makes me wonder… have you really moved on?"

"Of course I have!" he responded immediately.

"Have you ever really thought about it before answering? Steve, you're adapting, not moving on. There's a difference."

"Enlighten me," he deadpanned.

This was not going well. "You adjust to the lifestyle here, but you're still suffering from the loss of your past life. It's been almost three months since you woke up here. It's time to let go. I thought you might've when you finished that sketch of her last month, but apparently not. You know how to use a cell phone and the TV remote and are up to date on social media and pop culture references – but there's a part of you that wants to go back. He wants to go to sleep and wake up in the forties with his original friends and… and girlfriend," she whispered, slowly pulling away.

Steve grabbed her hands and held her there, making sure she didn't leave. He craned his neck to look her in the eyes. "Tania… I can't go back."

"But does that mean you don't want to?"

"I will never go back."

"But do you want to?"

He opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. She waited patiently for about a minute before she sighed and let go of him, stepping back.

"Steve, if you can't let go of the past, then maybe we shouldn't… we should stop. At least until you can stop thinking about her."

"What?! No!" He stood up and marched forward, taking both of her hands in his. "We can't! I love you Tania. You have no idea how much. I could never leave you. Not for anything. And I couldn't stand to lose you too."

"Is it about losing me, or is it about losing more than you've already lost."

"Both," he replied without hesitation. "Look, I'm trying, okay? I… I've been dreaming about them… her… for the past week or so. I haven't told you because I was afraid of this. I was afraid that you'd think I didn't love you but I do. I love you with all my heart and nothing will ever change that. I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. You have nothing to worry about. They're just dreams and I'm sure they'll go away."

"You should have told me. I'd rather that than you hiding stuff from me."

He rubbed his thumb across the back of her knuckles lovingly. "I know. I'm sorry. I just… you're my everything."

Tania's solemn eyes gazed up at his sad ones. She leaned in closer. "You're my everything too."

She went up on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his, taking her right hand and placing it on the left side of his neck, just below his ear, with her thumb along his jawline. Both of his arms wound around her waist and pulled her closer, pressing their bodies together.

This was kiss was different than all the other times. Steve was trying to prove himself to her and Tania felt that she needed him. She wanted him so badly. The kiss was desperate, pleading for forgiveness. Their mouths moved and pushed and tongues danced as it became more intense.

Steve's right hand went to the back of her head and started to fumble with her elastic. Without breaking physical contact, Tania reached behind her and undid it for me, letting her brown hair tumble around her shoulders. He tangled his fingers in the strands and caressed the back of her head, keeping his grip on her firm and protective. He would not let anything happen to her. Ever. He couldn't.

He had grown extremely dependent on her, almost like how Tony couldn't go a single day without Pepper doing everything for him, except for Steve it was different. Tania grounded him. She calmed him when he was angry and stuck with him whenever he did something wrong. She never made him feel embarrassed (he did that all on his own) and she could make him blush in ways no one else could. She understood the majority of his "old" sayings and taught him how to live in the twenty-first century. She was always there when he returned from a mission, with open and waiting arms. She was just… she was perfect.

His lips moved from her mouth down to her throat as he kissed a line below her ear. He heard her shiver and held her tighter.  
Before he had been injected with the serum, Bucky had shown Steve several of what people nowadays called, "hickeys". He had never liked the idea of "marking" someone as theirs. It seemed incredibly possessive and painful for the one being bitten.

That thought flicked through his mind as he kissed her collarbone. His opinion on that matter hadn't changed a bit. But that didn't mean he wasn't curious. He wasn't going to try it now though, they had to discuss it first before he did anything risky like that. In his mind, anyway.

Tania slid her left hand up his back and into his soft hair, holding his head in the spot that made her arch her back and neck towards him. And then suddenly they were walking – stumbling more like it – into the door. She was just shy of slammed against it in what was probably the least painful way possible as his mouth found hers again. Oh Steve, so careful. It was just one of the things she loved about him.

They kissed feverishly as she fumbled with the handle. With this floor being Steve's, Tony had made sure that all the doors were manual instead of automatic. However in times like these, the couple wished it were the other way around.

When she finally got the stupid knob to open, she almost fell backwards as the door swung away from her. She gasped and gripped the back of Steve's shirt to prevent herself from falling; but she had no need. His strong arms held her securely and she barely budged. That seemed to turn her on as she began to nibble on his earlobe, which made him grunt.

They stumbled backward into the hallway and then down a bit, making their way subconsciously to his bedroom. The handle was easier to open this time and they entered. Tania shed her blazer and then interlaced her fingers behind his neck. She stepped backwards until the backs of her knees hit what she hoped was the bed and she tumbled onto it.

She let out a small squeak, thinking that Steve would land on top of her, but he spun them around mid-air so that she was on top instead. They bounced safely on the mattress, with her hair falling into his face and both her hands on his chest now. They were both panting hard.

Tania Banks, an average woman, had made the super soldier who did not tire easily, short of breath. She couldn't help but smirk. His eyes darkened and he rolled them over so that she lay below him and kissed her hard. They made out for several minutes, drinking each other in and apologizing with their body language.

His hand was making its way up her bare thigh and under her skirt when he pulled away roughly. The sound their lips made as he did so was a loud, "SMACK". His hand froze where it was, unable to go any further.

Tania threw her head back on the pillow and groaned. "So close…" she whispered.

He chuckled and removed his hand, rolling over so that he was on her left and that their noses were millimetres apart. "I'm sorry, Tania. Really I am."

She sighed. "I know, I know. You want to wait until marriage."

She stared up at the ceiling as she calmed her heartbeat down, breathing through her mouth. Steve caressed her right cheek and gently turned her face to his. "I want to. Trust me, I really do. Sometimes I want you so badly it hurts. But something inside of me is telling me to stop. Like it would be a crime."

"Back then, it probably would have been. But now it's a crime to still be a virgin when you do get married. Well, kind of."

"I know."

They spent the next couple minutes staring into each other's eyes, blue melting brown and brown liquefying blue. "Just… just promise me we'll do it one day. Go all the way."

"Did you…? Did you just propose?"

Tania was blushing from her head to her toes. "Wha-? No! No I didn't!" she turned away so that her back was to him. "Nevermind. I never said anything."

There was a slight pause before Steve laughed. Tania felt her temperature rise even more from embarrassment. She sat up and pushed herself to her feet. "I'm gonna go." She started walking towards the door.

"No, wait!" She heard the rustling of sheets before he had a hold of her wrist. "I'm sorry. You're just so adorable when you blush." Of course, that only made her blush harder.

She turned to face him. "Yeah well, it's even cuter when you do it." She tapped his nose and laughed. He joined in, and then suddenly things were okay again. Even if they had to discuss his problems on moving on again some other time, now they just wanted to be together and happy.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N. Heeeeeey guys! What's up? Sorry this one took so long, I've been SWAMPED with stuff this past couple weeks and will likely continue to be busy for the next month or so. However, I swear to Thor that I will update as regularly as I can. Probably every weekend and if not, ASAP after the missed deadline. I promise you that you will never go more than 2 weeks without an update. So anyway, this chapter was written little by little here and there, and then about halfway through I decided it wasn't long enough and just started typing and ended up with this. I'm not super happy with it, but it gets the point across and achieves the goals I had set for this chapter. So I hope you like and enjoy :D**

**Last disclaimer of the story because I don't like typing them for every single chapter - I don't own the Avengers.**

Chapter 10

The next day was Peter's big debut. He showed up precisely five minutes before six o'clock in the evening with his camera and spoke with the receptionist who called Tania down to the lobby. She met him with a smile and a handshake and escorted him into the elevator up to the lounge, where everyone else was… well, lounging.

"So that settles it then. We're all going to Malibu!" Tony exclaimed just as the elevator doors opened. Tania and Peter exchanged confused looks as they walked inside.

"Did I miss something?" she asked as she plopped down on the couch next Steve whose arm was loosely lying on the back with one ankle was resting on the other leg's knee.

Tony stood in front of everyone else, arms outstretched as if he had just pitched the best idea ever. Beside Tania was Pepper, who was next to Natasha who sat on the arm of the chair. Clint lay across the back of the couch just shy of Steve's hand so that he was behind Pepper and Natasha. Bruce sat in the chair to Steve's left and Thor sat on the sectional in front of Pepper. Everyone looked relaxed and seemed to like Tony's idea.

The billionaire shrugged. "Just me giving the most amazing sales pitch. No big deal."

"So we're going to Malibu because…?"

"Because it's way too stressful here. With that mission where we met Spidey here, Bruce's anxiety disorder- ahem, I mean, problem, Happy's car accident, Tania's latest near-death experience, so on and so forth, I thought it would be a good idea to go someplace where we can forget all that. I have a beach house in Malibu that I haven't been to in a while, figured I'd invite you all to come along as well. And… get this, you can all bring a plus one. Me? I'm bringing Rhodey."

"I'll bring Happy," Pepper suggested.

"Ooh! Can I bring Graham? Pretty, pretty please?" Tania asked, clasping her hands together. Tony nodded his consent and she squealed, whipping out her phone to text him ASAP.

"I can bring Jane?" Thor confirmed. When he received a positive response he bounced in his seat, causing the entire couch to teeter dangerously.

"I'll bring the kid, I guess," Natasha offered, referring to Peter who was standing to the side awkwardly.

"Um, actually, school, like, just started so… I can't really afford to leave now. Plus I haven't seen my girlfriend in ages…" he rubbed the back of his neck and then looked to Tania. "Am I fired?"

She laughed. "Not at all! You'll just pick it up double time when we get back is all. You're free to go."

He grinned. "Wow! You're like, the best boss ever!"

She blushed a bit. "Thank you. I'm in a good mood now."

"Um, I would go but… would you guys mind if I hung out here for a while? I mean, I can take pictures here with all of you together so… why not, right?"

Tania nodded. "Good idea, Peter. Go ahead. Everyone, ignore him. Easy on the flashes Peter."

"You got it!"

"Okay, so I won't bring the kid." Natasha shrugged.

"So who are you going to bring?" Tony inquired.

"No one. You never said we had to have a plus one."

"I'm saying it now."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm bringing Clint."

"And I'm bringing Natasha," the archer said right after.

Tony huffed. "You can't bring people who are already going!"

"Who said we were going?" Clint asked.

Pepper chuckled. "He's got you there."

Tony pouted. "Fine. What about you, Green Bean? Who are you taking?"

Tania looked up from her phone to see Bruce's reaction. It was the perfect excuse to call Betty. Her stare burned holes in the side of his head that he pretended to ignore. She mentally urged him to take the plunge and call her already. She was on the edge of her seat waiting for his response.

"No one."

Aaaaaaaand… cue deflation. She went back to texting.

"Aw, come on. There must be someone you haven't spoken to in a while that you could bring," Tony said, stepping closer.

"Oh, you mean like Fury or Hill?"

"Uh, no, I mean like old friends you had before you got all big and green. You must have had at least one friend…"

Bruce looked down at the ground and twisted his fingers together. "Well… yeah…" They had him on the ropes now. "But she would never come."

"Aha!" Tony shouted, startling everyone in the room and pointing at the scientist's face. "So you have someone in mind then? And she's a she."  
Bruce's face was heating up. "Um- well- okay, yes. She's female. What's your point?"

"Tell us her name!"

"… Betty."

"Hmm… Bruce and Betty. Betty and Bruce. S'got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I-I guess." He replied shyly.

Tony laughed and nudged his friend. "Invite her along! I am now making it mandatory for you to bring a guest. And since you would never hurt me – unlike the assassins over there – you can't use someone in this room."

Everyone stared at Bruce expectantly. Every pair of eyes was trained on him and the tension rose dramatically. Finally he sighed. "Fine. I'll call her."

Tania and Tony cheered and clapped their hands. "Alright, that's everyone buuuuuuuut…" Tony spun his finger around dramatically until he stopped and pointed at Steve. "… you. Who are you bringing?"

Steve blinked in surprise. "Wha-me? I don't know anyone."

"Could you bring Graham's girlfriend, then? Please? He just texted me asking if she could come." Tania turned to him with a hopeful look on her face.

He nodded. "Sure. That's fine with me. Happy now, Stark?"

"Ecstatic."

At that moment, Peter sneaked up to him and snapped a picture just two inches from Tony's face. The billionaire reared back from the flash and slapped the teen away like a petty fly.

"Da fuck?" he cried out, rubbing his eyes. Tania snickered on the couch, still texting away. Something was fishy. "Hey kid! Stay out of my face!" Tony ordered, annoyed. He was still seeing spots and had trouble locating the youngest occupant in the room.

"Sorry Mr. Stark, but I figured your readers would want a close up look of your life, so why not give them one? Only visual?" Peter was smirking like crazy, glad that Tony couldn't see it at the moment.

The inventor grumbled to himself. "Tania, just who exactly did you hire?"

"The best person for the job," she replied innocently. "Trust me, no one else was worth your money."

"You got that right," Peter agreed smugly. He raised his camera to his eye again, pointing the back of Tony's head. He snapped another picture and then leaped over the man's head when he whipped around to face him at "click". Tania and Peter were both giggling now and everyone else was slowly starting to become amused.

Peter winked at his boss before pestering Tony about his life in the most irritating way possible, following him all around the room when the man tried to escape. Only Clint, with his razor sharp vision, noticed the wink. He sent Tania the raised eyebrow look and she flicked her gaze to him for a split second before returning to her phone.

Offended, Clint scoffed. But then his Stark phone (one hundred percent un-traceable and un-buggable) vibrated in his pocket. He slid the sleek contraption from his beige shorts and read the text on the three-dimensional screen – come on, it's Tony Stark, would you expect anything less?

_Revenge ;-)_

It took a second before it clicked. A grin spread wide on his face as he realized what Tania was cooking up. He held up his hand for a high-five and she slapped it without hesitation. The others were watching them apprehensively; unaware of the joke they seemed to be sharing.

Clint and Tania had the sort of relationship similar to the one that Steve and Tania had had before they were dating, only without the underlying romance part. They were very close and totally comfortable with one another and laughed more often with each other than they did with the others. It was a brother-sister type thing and they were always joking with one another. Now you'd think that Tony and Clint would be the pranking duo, but no. It was Tania and Clint. Of course Tania influenced the practical jokes in a less intense way. It was often her that turned the archer away from his bow when Tony pushed him too far. Pranks were often how the two compensated for Tony's dickhead behaviour. Clint also got along famously with Graham, which made him especially alright in Tania's books.

Steve was sometimes jealous of the relationship they had, but he understood that they weren't romantically involved in any way. A couple weeks ago, Clint and Natasha had revealed their relationship to the other Avengers, though Tania and Pepper seemingly already knew. Steve trusted Tania with his life and was glad she got along so well with the other members of his team. She had flowed in seamlessly into their dysfunctional little family and had established a certain bond with each and every one of them.

It would have been awkward otherwise. So he eyed them suspiciously from his position on the couch but didn't say anything. But then Tania turned to him and whispered in his ear as Clint stuck his head between Pepper and Natasha and did the same. The other assassin leaned forward on the couch to let Thor know while Steve stage-whispered to Bruce.

Tony was too busy trying to shake off the parasite that was Peter Parker to notice any of their growing smirks. Finally he had had enough and whirled around to face away from him. "What have I done to deserve this?" he asked, tilting his head up as if to answer the heavens.

A bodiless voice answered him – but it wasn't God. "From the information I've gathered, Sir, Tania holds some sort of grudge over you and has an alliance with Mr. Parker to annoy you for something that you did. All of the other Avengers are privy to this information," JARVIS replied.

Tony glared at Tania who was full out laughing at this point, leaning into Steve's side for support. "What did I do?" he cried out incredulously.

When she sobered, the brunette answered. "You had the Hulk call me Piggy Bank!"

Tony stared at her in confusion… until he blinked. "Oh yeah…"

She smiled and shook her head. "Okay Peter, you can leave him alone now. Go on home."

"Thanks Tania! You rock!" he hopped off the landing jogged to the elevator. "Have a good trip!"

Several versions of good-byes followed him until the doors closed and he was gone. "You know, being the masked vigilante that he is, and being wanted by the police, that kid is going to get himself into deep trouble at some point," Steve pointed out with a frown. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with Peter for what he had initially done to Tania, but he could see that she was comfortable with him and that he was really just a teenager.

Tony shrugged. "Oh well. So? Malibu?"

Pepper laughed and stood up. She made her way over to him and rested her right forearm on his left shoulder, grabbing her wrist with her other hand. She kissed his cheek. "I think we're going."

"Yes!"

See, this was why Tony was the best person to prank. Not only did he deserve it most of the time, but he never held a grudge or got angry (too much). It was perfect.

"When do we leave?" Natasha asked.

"How about tomorrow at two?" Tony suggested.

"Four it is, then," Pepper corrected. Everyone laughed while her boyfriend pouted.

"I'm not that late."

"On a bad day."

"Or a good day."

She rolled her eyes and rested her head on her arm by his neck, unable to wipe the smile off her face. "Okay everybody, pack tonight and meet on the helicopter pad at four o'clock sharp. If anyone's late, I'll chew you out myself." No one moved, unsure of what to do. Awkward silence ensued. "Dismissed?"

The group of friends chuckled and went their somewhat separate ways. Tony and Pepper walked toward the balcony with his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist. Natasha and Clint decided to take the stairs (it was a shock to learn that the Tower even had stairs) while Bruce and Thor ended up taking the elevator to their respective floors. Tania and Steve didn't move from their positions on the couch and soon, even the famed "Pepperony" left the room, and the couple that had been dubbed "Stania" by Tony was left alone.

It would have been nice, had Tania not still been texting on her phone. Steve understood the basics of how to use cell phones and texting and that sort of thing (though music, games, and any other apps confused him), but that didn't mean he had to like it. He also didn't like the fact that his girlfriend was paying more attention to an electronic that she was to him. Granted he wasn't exactly doing anything interesting at the moment, but maybe he should change that…

He dropped his arm from the back of the couch to her shoulder and brought her a bit closer, pressing his lips to her temple and rubbing her arm affectionately. She sighed and leaned into his body – but her thumbs still tapped away with annoying little clicks.

"Would you mind not playing on your phone right now, darling?" Okay, yes, he called her darling. It was old fashioned and neither of them knew anyone who called anyone else that anymore, but they both liked it. Tony had practically bought the rights to calling his girlfriend, "Honey" and Steve respected that. He definitely wasn't going to call her "baby" or worse, "babe". It just sounded so… demeaning. He hadn't the slightest clue why, but it just did; at least to him.

She stopped typing and craned her neck to look up at him, confused. "I'm talking to Graham. I can't just randomly cut off our conversation- Well I guess I could… but that would be rude."

"How can you call what you're doing, 'talking'? He's miles away and you're not even saying anything."

"Okay fine, I'm texting him. There, Mr. Technicality. Is that better?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, not really. You're paying that phone all of your attention and frankly I find it a bit rude when you're in company."

"Jealous, much?" she accused, an amused smile playing on her features.

A light blush started to creep up his neck. "Wha-? Me? Jealous? Of a cellular phone of all things? Of course not! It's just… It's just rude, is all." He turned his face away from her as he became increasingly hotter. He still stumbled around his words around women sometimes – even Tania.  
She just smiled and shook her head. She typed out a quick good-bye to her brother and slid her phone back into her purse. She brought her right hand to caress his jaw and turn his head towards her again so that she could see his handsome face. He obeyed but refused to make eye contact, looking down at the couch instead of at her. She pecked his lips, praying that the spark between them would be enough to get him to look at her. It was.

She gently rubbed her thumb along his jaw back and forth. "What's eating you?" she asked. He opened his mouth to speak but didn't give him the chance. "Ah, ah, ah! Don't deny it. I can tell. What's got you all grumpy?"

He gave a sheepish smile in response. "Am I that obvious?"

"To anyone else, no. To me? It's like Tony's arc reactor in a pitch black room with the words, 'I'm upset about something but won't let anyone see because I'm too much of a selfless leader' written in neon green plastered on it."

He laughed dryly. "You know me too well."

"Stop avoiding the question."

He sighed. "I… There've been… dreams," he confessed, avoiding eye contact again. She'd have to work on that with him later.

She already knew about the dreams, he'd told her last night. But maybe there was something more. "About what?"

"… the past. It's not like the others that I had when I first woke up here. These ones are… different."

"Different how?"

"Well… the first ones I had were about me leaving everyone behind. That everyone I loved… Yeah. In the dream, I would wake up in 2012 and everyone would be dead and I'd be forced to move on and live… without them. But those had gradually gotten less and less frequent – and when I met you they disappeared completely. I thought I was in the clear.

"But… about a week ago… I dreamt about… about Bucky." He winced, reaching his hand up to grasp her wrist as she massaged the spot just below his earlobe. She didn't react, just continued to move her thumb in soothing motions as she nodded along to his tale. "It wasn't about his… him… him being gone. It was about the good ol' days, before the super serum and before either of us joined the army. When we still lived in the orphanage. It was just us, having fun together and laughing and being like brothers." He smiled nostalgically. "It was a happy dream. But those are the worst kind. When I woke up, I wanted nothing more than to go back. I wanted to fall back asleep and return to the world I missed so much and never wake up again. But I knew that it wasn't real, that I could never truly go back. That was jarring in itself." He bit his lip. "Then there was the day after that.

"On that night, I dreamt of Peggy. I remembered when we first met, of all the times I'd been with her since. But the most painful part was… I imagined what it would have been like if I'd made it to the Stork Club that Saturday night. I dreamt that we'd dance and that she'd be in that red dress I remember she'd worn that one time. And then she'd be the one to teach me how to dance and I would never have woken up in 2012. And when I realized it was all a dream, that I was sat up in bed at the Tower and not at base… I wished it were true. But the second I did I regretted it because then I never would have met you." He held her wrist tighter. "What scares me isn't that I miss them… what scares me is that every time I have a dream like that, I wish I was back in the forties… When I make that wish, it's before rational reason hits and when it does I always take it back. But the fact that I wish it at all is… confusing to say the least.

"Tania, I'm sorry that I kept this from you, but I honestly thought that they would go away after a while. It hasn't even been that long. And that painting… I've got a couple more like that. Not just of Peggy, but of everyone. Bucky, the Howling Commandos, Col. Phillips, my mom… I've even got some of Dr. Erskine and Howard… and Schmidt. They've all haunted my dreams and I can't get them to go away no matter what I do. I'm sorry darling," he apologized sincerely.

"For what?" she whispered back. She was close to tears now. "For missing your old life? I don't blame you Steve, not one bit. Your dreams are your subconscious thinking- if you miss them more right now, then you miss them some more. I'm not jealous. I promise. But… are the dreams… painful for you?"

"Not during. I'm always happy in the dreams. But when it's over it's like a mirror has shattered, revealing everything behind this fantastical illusion and that 'everything' is my bedroom. Cold, dark, and empty. It's so painful to have that happiness ripped out from under your feet like a carpet someone yanked on. And then you fall and hit the ground and you just don't want to get back up because it hurts."

"Oh Steve…" Tania moved her hand from his jaw to the back of his neck and brought their foreheads together. "Sleep in my room tonight. I've heard that sleeping near someone helps keep nightmares away. Though I'm not sure from where so I could be totally wrong… but it's worth a try, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, okay."

And so later that night, at around ten, Steve climbed into bed beside his darling girlfriend and wrapped his arm around her middle, entangling their legs together as he pressed his stomach against her back. She sighed contentedly and laced the fingers of both their right hands together.

They both slept dreamlessly.

**A/N. So yeah, the reason I had Happy in the car accident was initially to cause more drama as an excuse for Tony to bring all the Avengers to Malibu. But then I added in the whole attacker incident with Tania and Peter and realized I didn't really need it. But yeah, he's coming to Malibu :D and Graham's coming! YAY! I miss him :P And yeah, Stania won out with 100 percent of the votes (even though there were only 5... and I was one of them). Also, this is the last chapter where Peter appears. He does not come in at all for the rest of the story though I can not guarantee that he will not be mentioned. Also, I mentioned some trailer scripts for these stories in an earlier author's note, those will come soon (maybe even tonight, who knows?) and will be posted on my profile. If anyone wants to create an ACTUAL trailer with clips from movies and stuff, plz contact me and I will give you the OK :) Please? That would be awesome. One last thing: do you guys picture Tania as a specific actress? Cuz I don't. I actually don't imagine faces at all unless they're someone who actually exists and I try really hard to picture their faces. Let me know who you think Tania looks like via review! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N. Hi y'all! Managed to squeeze this one out for ya :) Enjoy until next time! :D**

Chapter 11

"Mmmmmm…" Tania shifted, adjusting her body amongst the sheets and pillow. She snuggled into it. It sort of registered that the pillow felt different, but it still comfy so she just ignored it and wrapped her arms around it. But then something that was already wrapped around her moved and her eyes snapped open.

It took her a second to realize she was sleeping on Steve with both of his arms wrapped around her waist protectively. It was as if even in his subconscious, his first instinct was to keep her close and never let her go. Tania blushed ducked her head, pressing her ear to his muscled chest and listening intently to his heartbeat.

It was steady, but obviously faster paced than the average human's. It was different – he was different. He was perfect. She sighed in contentment. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him with all her heart. Sometimes it scared her just how much she loved him. She would do anything for him in a heartbeat.

She never thought she would be the kind of person to dedicate every second of her life to a man – but there she was, thinking about him like she always did. She always thought that her career would come first, but now that she worked at SI, her job was better than ever! And she hardly had any expenses at all, what with Tony paying for basically everything. So she has a lot more time and energy to spend with Steve, to love Steve, to be with Steve.

And now she found herself sleeping with the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She was sure of it. But she wasn't ready for it. She was anxious to really sleep with Steve (she had imagined that it would be amazing) and for that, she needed marriage. But marriage was a big step.

She was extremely happy (this was the happiest period of her life) and she didn't want that to change. Her life was perfect the way it was – okay it wasn't perfect, but there was no way that she could smile any more than she already did every day since she moved into the Tower.

She could wait. Steve was definitely worth it. The more build up, the more awesome it would be… right?

Her boyfriend took in a deep breath, making her head rise and fall dramatically before the corners of his lips turned upward and his eyes fluttered open. He immediately spotted her chocolate brown eyes and his smile grew wider, although it remained close-lipped. He blinked, still groggy.

"Hey there beautiful," he greeted, leaning forward to kiss her nose.

The grin that stretched across her face reflected the pure bliss that radiated throughout her body. "Good morning handsome," she returned flirtatiously.

JARVIS must have registered that they were both awake because the curtains drew away from the window by themselves, letting in large amounts of sunshine. Tania groaned and buried her face in Steve's chest while he shielded his eyes with one hand. The AI's voice penetrated her bedroom with crystal clear sound, stating the weather and information neither party wanted to hear at the moment.

"Thanks Jarvis, now MUTE," Tania ordered.

When he obeyed, the couple both smirked. As their eyes adjusted to the lighting, Tania reached over to her nightstand to check her phone. It read 10:12am. She nearly dropped it in her shock.

"Ten twelve? Holy fu- fudge!" she exclaimed, rushing to get up. She pulled away from Steve and sat up, leaning backward a bit too much and started wind-mill-ing her arms. With a squeak she fell off the bed and landed on the floor with a dulled "thud!".

"Tania?!" Steve called, very awake now. He crawled forward until his head and shoulders peeked over the edge of the bed to see Tania sprawled on the floor, having taken both sheets with her. She was now totally tangled in them and her hair looked even worse than it had before (that didn't affect how beautiful she was to him, though). "Are you okay?"

She blinked a couple times. Then she gasped. "Oh my God! I'm late! I'm so, so, so, so, so LATE!" she scrambled to her feet and ran to her closet and started rummaging through it hastily. "JARVIS! Why didn't you wake up?" When there was no response, she sighed. "Unmute."

"You do not have to work today, Ms. Banks."

She froze. "But it's Wednesday!"

"Ms. Potts would like me to remind you that your flight leaves in precisely five hours and forty-nine minutes."

"Oh… oh." She turned a bright red and returned the blazer she taken off the rack to its original place. It was only then that she noticed the two faux purple snake skin luggage cases sitting in the corner of her room.

Steve was pressing his lips together as tightly as he could, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to make him explode. But unfortunately his physical strength didn't help in that department and he chuckled, which turned into a laugh.

Tania was blushing like crazy and hiding her face behind her closet door. "It's not funny!" she whined. But his laughter was contagious. Soon, she found herself laughing along and she came out from her hiding place. He held out his arms and she crawled back onto the bed and slid into them, knocking them both back down. "Okay, maybe it's a little funny."

"Calm down, Tania. We're going on vacation. We're going to have fun and we're going to forget about work and missions and drama, and we're going to relax." He rubbed her arm comfortingly and kissed her temple.

"Do you really think Fury is going to just not call you while we're in Malibu?"

"I think he's going to try."

"What do you mean?"

"If we don't bring our cell phones and don't answer the home phone, Fury can't really force us on a mission can he? Unless it's a REAL emergency, we will let the local authorities handle it. We're pretty much golden."

She smiled. "Yeah, okay. I can't wait. I bet Tony's going to get us his private jet."

A thought suddenly occurred to Steve that wiped the smile right off his face. "Tania? Do you think you'll be okay in a plane? I mean, your fear of heights and all…"

"As long as I don't look out the window I should be fine," she reassured him. "I'll take the aisle seat." She laced their hands together, playing with his fingers mindlessly.

"Well alright, if you say so."

"Stop worrying Steve."

"I can't help it! And no matter how many times you tell me that, I will never stop worrying about you." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you too much to stop."

"I love you too."

"We should probably get up now."

"Eh, what's the rush?"

He chuckled and ran his other hand through her hair. He stroked her head as they lay there in silence. Neither of them ever wanted to move – ever. But eventually they had to.

About an hour later, Steve's stomach rumbled. "What? My metabolism works four times faster than the average person. I get hungry fast!"

She laughed. "I'm starving too. Let's go eat."

The two of them held hands and made their way to the kitchen, never letting go for a second, in their pyjamas. When the elevator doors opened, they revealed a floor void of people. That left a problem: neither of them could cook.

Well, Steve could cook, but things like the micro-wave and hood fans and stuff confused him. Still, there was nothing holding him back from making some simple eggs and bacon. So he set to work while Tania sat on the bar stool at the island and rested her head in her hands to watch him.  
He was dressed in a white V-neck T-shirt and black sports shorts and his hair was ruffled and he was just so sexy in the mornings. Tania sighed, unaware that it was out loud.

Steve noticed though and couldn't help the smirk blooming on his face as he turned back to the stove. He loved it when she ogled him (what guy wouldn't? Come to think of it, what girl didn't either?). He returned the favour often enough, but he didn't think she knew.

This morning, she had tied her hair into a messy bun and was wearing orange short-shorts paired with a yellow spaghetti strap camisole. One of the straps had fallen off her shoulder and she was too distracted (by him, mind you) to notice. Unlike her, he couldn't afford to get distracted lest he set the food on fire and endanger them both. When he was done though…

He served the eggs and then promptly leaned over the counter to kiss her. She was virtually irresistible in the morning. He brought both of his hands to the sides of her head and tangled his fingers into her hair yet again. His lips were boiling hot against hers and its warmth was starting to spread. It slowly encompassed him until he felt sunburned all over – and he wanted more.

He opened his mouth and shoved his tongue against hers, begging to meet the other one behind the door that was her lips. She just smiled and grabbed the back of his neck with one hand.

"If you want it, then come and get it… Captain."

That last word did it for him and he attacked her lips with renewed fervor. Tania crawled clumsily onto the counter, knocking down the stool in the process, and feeling the ice cold marble against the skin of her legs as she hastened to get closer to him. When she was close enough, she swung her legs around herself and then stuck them out over the edge on either side of Steve so that she was sitting on the counter and he was between her legs. They never broke contact of mouths throughout the whole thing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth harder against his. However, it remained closed. Frustrated, Steve gripped her bare thigh with one hand and rose up on his toes to shove his tongue forcefully into her mouth. Her barrier broke and they made contact.

All of a sudden, nothing else mattered. They weren't in the kitchen, they weren't in Avengers Tower, and they weren't even in New York anymore. There was no place; there was only each other. Completely absorbed in each other, they didn't notice the elevator doors open, hear the cry of surprise, or the doors hurriedly closing again. The cry sounded distinctly feminine, but neither of them had ever known she was there.

Embers were falling all over again. Tania's other strap had long since fallen down around her bicep and her bun had come undone. Her hand was travelling down his back, beneath his thin shirt. She felt and massaged the perfectly sculpted muscles and took pleasure in how built he was. He seemed to take pleasure in it too, because he moaned and pulled back a millimetre for breath. Tania took that as a sign to take on his neck and she bent down to kiss his throat feverishly.

Steve's hand on her thigh rose substantially until his fingers were engulfed by her shorts and his breathing was haggard. He felt himself growing hard and he knew he had to stop. But he didn't want to. Oh Lord he didn't want to. But he had to. And if Captain America was anything, he was determined.

So he dropped his hand and gripped the edge of the counter so tightly that his knuckles were white. He bent his head down to stop his neck from arching but she simply kissed him on the lips again, leaving him out of breath. His heart was pounding harder and faster and louder than was probably healthy for a human without the super soldier serum. If he didn't have it in his system he probably would have had a heart attack and gone to heaven; but this was his heaven.

"Mm- Sto-" he tried to say, but he couldn't get the words out when she started to drag her nails lightly up his back. He shivered despite his intense heat and tightened his grasp. The marble crumbled in his fists, startling the both of them enough to part and look down. Two huge chunks of Tony's counter top were missing.

When Steve opened his hands, there they were. But they were practically dust. Panting hard, the couple observed the crumbs falling from his palms and onto the tiled floor.

"Steve… what-?"

"I'm sorry." He yanked himself away from her and slammed his hips into the sink behind him. "I'm sorry." He repeated, unable to tear his eyes away from the fist-shaped dents on either side of the woman he loved. His eyes were wide and his shirt was ruffled and wrinkled and his chest was rising and falling unsteadily as he breathed through his mouth.

That could have been her. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced the images that suddenly assaulted his mind as far as he could. He was hurting her: pushing her too hard, gripping her too hard, too heavy to lie on top of her, too strong to hold her too tightly. "No!" he shouted, pressing his fists against his temples. He willed the visions to go away and never return. He was so focused on this task that he didn't hear Tania's frantic cries.

"Steve! Steve! Steve!" She jumped off the counter and grabbed his arms. His muscles were constricted and his whole body was tense. She would have been admiring his physique had he not looked so scared. "STEVE!" she yelled.

He sunk down to the floor and she followed, trying to make eye contact but he was staring off into space. She was getting increasingly worried and tears were starting to prick her eyes. "Steve! Please! Snap out of it! Look at me! LOOK AT ME DAMN IT!"

He blinked a few times, slowly removing his arms from his head. He tilted his head to look at her and he seemed horrified and worried. "That… that could have been you," he spoke in a raspy voice from their intense make-sessions. "I could have… I could have crushed you. I-I can't… I can't…"

"Shh…" she caressed his cheek and let two tears fall but smiled through it. "It's okay," she whispered, "I'm here. I'm fine. I'm safe. You told me that I would always be safe in your arms, remember? You promised. And you don't break promises. You're Captain America. Captain America is you. And I love you. And you love me. You would never hurt me. I know you too well."

He didn't open his mouth to respond and instead wrapped his arms around her gently, being extra careful of his strength. "I'm sorry. I love you Tania, it won't happen again. I'm so sorry."

"You bet it won't. I trust you, Steve. I have faith in you. It was just a little mistake. And the only reason you were holding it that hard was because you wanted to pull away, right?"

"… No. Quite the opposite, actually. I wanted anything but to pull away, but I… I felt like I had to."

"I'm sorry too. I should have pulled away first. I just got carried away."

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I could say the same to you."

"I almost-!"

"But you didn't. You didn't do anything to me. I'm perfectly fine. The only person you need to apologize to is Tony – and maybe Pepper. Okay? Remember what you said about Malibu? We're going to forget all the drama? This counts to."

"We're not in Malibu yet."

She laughed. "No, not yet. But we'll be there soon. And then we'll forget this ever happened, okay?"

"No. I don't want to- I can't- shouldn't forget. If I forget, I can't learn from my mistakes. I'll never make this mistake again, darling. I promise." He stared directly into her eyes and she couldn't stop the rest of the tears from falling.

"Gosh, this morning has been such an emotional roller coaster. First we're blissfully happy, then we're hot and sexy, then we're panicked and worried, and now we're relieved and calm. I wonder what the rest of the day has in store for us," she mused.

"Let's have breakfast so that we can tackle it, shall we?" he stood up and held out a hand for her to take. She smiled and accepted it, rising to her feet with his help. He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them, never breaking eye contact.

She rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder but they were both smiling good-naturedly. Their food was cold but neither of them was going to risk using the micro-wave (Tania had a tendency to use it to make things explode… unintentionally of course). So to compensate, the brunette brewed a pot of coffee and served it black, the way they both liked it.

She had to say, she preferred having coffee with Steve Rogers than with Captain America – at least, the Captain America she originally pictured him to be. It was hard to think that she had ever thought of him as arrogant and selfish. When she looked back on it she cringed and changed the subject of her thoughts. But she knew now that her boyfriend was the most noble, loyal, determined, honest, charming, sweet, chivalrous, stubborn, somewhat oblivious, over-protective, worried hero ever to walk the earth.

She smiled into her coffee.

* * *

At four o'clock on the dot, all of the Avengers plus Tania, Graham, Pepper, and Happy were standing on the helicopter deck with their suitcases. Well, everyone but Tony. Exactly one minute later, the billionaire waltzed into the sunlight with his designer shades and rock 'n' roll band T-shirt and faded blue jeans with no luggage whatsoever.

"Tony, where's the helicopter?" Pepper asked, also suitcase-free.

"Not here."

"I see that. Where's Rhodey?"

"Back at base. He couldn't come."

"That's too bad, but seriously how are we getting to your airport?"

"You own an airport?" Bruce asked, astonished.

"Of course! I'm a billionaire, it's basically a necessity. And thanks for speaking up, Jolly Green, I almost forgot. Did you call Betsy?"

Bruce ground his teeth. "Betty. And yes. I did."

"Well, what did she say?"

"Nothing. She changed numbers."

No one knew what to say to that. He now had no way to contact his ex-girlfriend. Well, Tony could always do some hacking – or get JARVIS to do it – but now didn't seem like the time to mention it. Bruce obviously didn't want to talk about it, so everyone dropped it.

"So… how are we getting to Malibu, if not by helicopter?" Natasha asked suspiciously. She and Clint both carried relatively small black duffel bags that probably carried some clothes, toiletries, and weapons.

Tony hopped up onto the ledge of the roof and spun around to face them. "Like this." He spread his arms out wide and leaned back, falling off. Everyone rushed to the spot he had just been and leaned over the edge only to have Iron Man whizz past them, creating a gust of wind that whipped them all in the face. He was soon just a dot in the sky.

"I do not understand. Why did Friend Tony just disappear?" Thor asked, just as confused as the rest of them.

"I don't know," Steve responded. "Maybe-"

Something slammed into his back so hard that he pitched forward but managed to walk a few more steps and remain upright. When he finally stopped walking, he was fully encased in a red, white, and blue Iron Man suit. The next thing anyone knew, suits were flying at them from out of nowhere and attaching themselves to each person.

It was utter chaos as everyone fled around, trying to escape the suits on rampages. Pepper was next, covered head to toe in a red and white decidedly feminine suit and blasting off after Tony and Steve with screams of terror. She was obviously not controlling the suit – JARVIS was.

Happy dropped his crutches just as the suit slammed into him from the front, knocking him off his feet. Before he could hit the floor of the roof, he was already fully dressed in metal and went away silently. Working for Tony for so long, you learned not to be as shocked about things.

Bruce was trying desperately not to Hulk out as the metal surrounded him of its own accord, creeping up his arms and legs and wrapping around his torso snugly. It was kind of claustrophobic in there. When the green and purple mask slid down over his face, the suit grabbed his stuff and zoomed off, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Tania's wrists were grabbed be another feminine suit with a gold and black colour scheme as the suit suction-cupped itself to the back of her body and then closed in front of her. She unwillingly grabbed her luggage and flew away.

Graham was so distracted by watching his sister's transformation into robot (that's what it looked like, anyway) that he barely noticed his own metamorphosis occurring. When it did, he blasted off with a loud cry of, "YEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAW!"

Clint was watching with a wide grin on his face. He loved adrenaline. He threw his duffel bag aside and ran for the edge. He faintly heard his partner call his name before he jumped. As expected, the purple and black suit caught him in a similar fashion to when Tony was shoved out the window back during the Chitauri attack. After doubling back and grabbing his things, he too raced into the sky.

Natasha was avoiding her suit like the plague, dodging and flipping and shooting at it- but it was unavoidable and impenetrable. The red and black machine eventually got to her as she growled, crying out Tony's name. "STAAAAAAAAAARK!"

Thor was the only one left on the roof, but when no suit came for him, he sighed. He held out his hand and Mjolnir rammed into his open palm immediately. He swung his hammer around and around until he sped off after his friends. He didn't feel left out – too much – because he knew that he could fly and Tony knew that as well, so why would he need a suit? Still… it looked cool.

He caught up with the others easily enough. They were all flying a V-formation, like ducks flying South for the winter. Many of them did not find this amusing. Tony, however, seemed to think it was hilarious. He was flying on his back and holding his stomach as he laughed. Everyone else was stock still and acted like droids. Inside, though, and they were overflowing with various emotions.

Steve: Confusion/Panic.

Pepper: Fright.

Happy: Wonder.

Bruce: Stress.

Tania: Paralyzing fear (thanks a lot Tony).

Graham: Joy.

Clint: Exhilaration.

Natasha: Grudging acceptance.

Thor: Amusement.

"ANOTHONY EDWARD STARK, YOU GET ME OUT OF THIS THING RIGHT NOW!" Tania screeched. She had expected a private jet with all the luxuries the rich life had to offer – not this. Flashbacks were raiding her mind and attacking her brain but she couldn't close her eyes because then she wouldn't know where she was going or if she was going to crash.

Steve wanted to go to her, he wanted to so badly, but his suit wouldn't budge. "Stark! Let us down now! That's an order!" he barked, furious.

"What's the rush, Capsicle? We have a little ways to go before we reach New Mexico."

"Tony, at least let me get closer to my sister," Graham offered. Tony sighed and nodded. The civilian was then moved closer to Tania, who was panicking and unable to move her body. "Tani? It's me, Gray. I'm here. You're not going to fall. It's going to be okay."

She wanted to shake her head, but she couldn't move. "IT'S NOT GOING TO BE OKAY! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

"We're not going to die! Tony won't let us. You trust Tony, don't you?"

She sniffled. "Yeah."

"And you trust me, right?"

"Of course."

"Then know that I would never lie to you. Is there something that would make it better."

"Maybe if I had control over how I was flying…" she whispered.

"Done." Tony nodded his head again and everyone suddenly regained control over their bodies, but their thrusters were perpetual and had no intention of turning off. Probably not a good idea on his part. Steve and Natasha were the first to get in his face.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"HOW DARE YOU BASICALLY KIDNAP US AND THEN EXPECT US TO COOPERATE WITH YOU!"

"DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT TANIA'S FEAR OF HEIGHTS? HOW INSENSITIVE CAN YOU BE?"

"YOU ARE AN EGOTISTICAL, SELF-CENTERED, JERK!"

"SHE COULD HAVE HAD A PANIC ATTACK IN THERE! BRUCE COULD HAVE HULKED OUT! HAPPY COULD HAVE BEEN HURT! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES?"

"WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS THING, I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, STARK! SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY!"

"WOAH!" he cried, backing up expertly while they struggled to maneuver his complicated designs. He held up his hands in defense. "I did not know about Tania's irrational fear-"

"It wasn't irrational," Steve said in a low, grumbly voice.

Tony continued on as if uninterrupted. "- and I have total faith in Bruce not to turn into a killer green rage monster and destroy us all. Right buddy?"

"Fuck off."

"Okay, so he's pissed, but he's not big and green so that's a good sign, right?"

"Tony…" everyone was slowly starting to get the hang of their respective contraptions. It was only a matter of time before they ganged up on him. He had to do this fast.

"Aw come on! This is fun! And I specifically altered Happy's suit to incorporate his leg. He can walk now! And the rest of the suit falls away until just his one leg is covered in metal and then he'll be able to walk fine until it heals.

"I can put Tania on the ground and have her walk there, but honestly I don't think she'd like that much better. What do you want me to do, black out her screens?"

"NO!" she cried, gripping Graham's hand like a vice. "I… I'm fine. I just… I just need to get used to this."

Tony took what he could get and waved his arms in her general direction. "See? She's totally fine! Nothing to worry about! You're all safe and you'll all have the time of your lives."

"Stark…" Natasha's voice was deadly and her hands curled into fists around her duffel bag.

Tony knew that tone. "Well, that's my cue!" he grabbed Pepper's hand and zoomed ahead of them, breaking past the speed of sound.

"Tony WAIT!" Tania began to panic again. He was the only one who knew how to work these things.

Luckily, JARVIS – the angel that he is – spoke up. "I assure you Ms. Banks, that you and the others are perfectly safe in the suits. If I may suggest, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the view."

"You know…" Clint started, "this is kind of WAY COOL!" he performed a loop de loop (show-off) while laughing and twirled around Natasha. "Come on Nat, lighten up!" he grabbed both of her hands and twirled them both as they sky-rocketed above the clouds.

When they were far enough away that no one could hear Natasha's curses, everyone turned their attention to Tania, who was hyperventilating. Graham had one hand on her back just below her neck and his other tightly holding hers. Steve managed to make his way over to her other side and reach for her left hand, trying and failing to interlace their much larger fingers now that they were encased in metal. In the end, he settled for hand in hand.

"Tania, darling, you're so being so brave right now. I'm so proud of you."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a little kid!" she snapped angrily at him. He flinched, invisible behind his own Iron Man mask.

"I'm still proud. You're doing great. Jarvis, how much further?"

"Still six hundred miles, Captain."

"That's not so bad. We can do this. Heck, it might even be fun."

Graham was nodding in agreement. "Yeah! Name another time when we get to fly so freely!"

Tania was silent for a very long time. Her breathing was starting to even out. Steve hated not being able to see her face or touch her skin. He hated all of these holograms and numbers on the screen in front of him, analyzing everything. It was incredibly distracting, confusing, and annoying all at once. He didn't know how Tony put up with it.

Finally, she sucked in a deep breath, causing the communication lines between everyone in close vicinity to crackle. "You can let go now," she whispered.

Steve shot Graham a quick glance, but all he saw was the black and white metal face mask that matched the rest of him. It was blank and frankly kind of creepy if you looked at it too long. Reluctantly, both men slowly slid from her grasp.

And then she was flying on her own. She managed a weak smile for herself, since no one else could see. "I… I'm doing it." Her smile grew wider. "I'm flying! An-and I'm not throwing up!"

"Don't jinx it," Bruce warned.

She laughed and made herself stiff as a rocket, palms out, and suddenly she was way ahead of everyone. She had to admit that she felt like she didn't have a stomach anymore. Where her butterflies usually were, there was nothing but emptiness. She focused on learning the basic controls and pushed the flashbacks to the very corners of her mind. They were still there, and they popped up every now and then, but she could ignore them in favour of the giant grin plastered on her face as she flew over cities and states and through clouds. It really did feel amazing.

She closed her eyes and let JARVIS do the driving, just enjoying the moment. She heard someone's thrusters approaching and she craned her neck to see Steve fast approaching. Always the fast learner he was.

When he caught up to her, he grabbed her hand again. No words were spoken and then both sped up at the same time, also breaking the speed of sound as the border of New Mexico came into view.

**A/N. Hi again. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about what actresses would play Tania in your heads. All of them seem pretty cool :D AND I also have the trailers on my profile if you guys want to see. That's all folks! ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N. Heeeeeey! :) How goes it? So far I'm still keeping up with my updates, hopefully it will remain that way. I also just want everyone to know that this will be as cannon as possible with the MARVEL movies, and in order to do that, this book takes place BEFORE Iron Man 3 and AFTER Thor 2, which is weird because Thor 2 isn't even out yet but we know that Thor doesn't see Jane until Thor 2, so this wouldn't make sense if it was after. I'll probably finish this before that releases anyway, but I was kind of thinking of making this a series. The third one would take place AFTER Iron Man 3. Hope this chapter's not too short for you and I hope you enjoy :D P.S. There MAY be MINOR spoilers for Iron man 3 but any info you may recognize from the movie was put in the trailers, therefore it is not technically a spoiler. Read on!**

Chapter 12

They landed gracefully on the ground, only for the suits to eject them forward as soon as they touched it, causing them both to be launched forward and into the dirt. Everyone else was soon to follow.

Tania spit out the fortunately small amount of sand that had made its way into her mouth and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Her eyes searched vehemently for Tony's signature red and gold not-so-iron suit, only to find that he, Thor, and Pepper were all chatting amicably with a young woman and a man – they were all suit-free.

Glaring daggers at the inventor but not wanting to make a bad first impression, Tania dusted herself off and helped Steve to his feet (she let herself think that, anyway; there was no way she could lift him by herself). Happy, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Graham, Steve, and Tania all made their way towards the God who was now kissing the woman passionately. Everyone averted their eyes, sensing that this was a private moment between the two that they should not intrude upon.

Tania introduced herself first and stuck out her hand for the unknown man to shake. "Hi, I'm Tania Banks. It's nice to meet you."

He grasped her hand and gave it one firm shake with a crooked smile. "Dr. Erik Selvig. And that girl over there is Dr. Jane Foster. I don't know how much the others have told you, but we're astrophysicists."

"The others?" Tania furrowed her brows and turned to her friends. They knew him? Why hadn't anyone told her?

Graham stepped up to the plate next and also shook hands with Erik. "Graham Banks," he stated simply with a wide grin.

Erik raised one grey eyebrow. "Are you two related?" he asked, eyeing the siblings.

Graham threw his arm around Tania's shoulders and grinned. "Yup!" he answered, emphasizing the "p" to make a popping sound. "I'm her big brother." He jutted his thumb at his own chest.

Tania rolled her eyes and playfully shoved his arm away. "Dumb ass, I'm the older one."

"How many times have we been over this?"

"About as many times as Tony's had hook-ups – maybe a bit less."

"Hey!" came the billionaire's protest, drawing attention to himself. Everyone who had unwillingly been thrown into a suit turned to glare at him. The celebrity suddenly found himself hiding behind Pepper. "Save me," he whispered.

She shook her head and smiled fondly at him before shoving him closer to his team mates. "Sorry Tony, but you deserve it."

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus! I thought you were supposed to be my super supportive girlfriend!" he shouted at her. He slowly turned around to face the seven angry people and swallowed nervously. "Uh, hey. No hard feelings right? You guys had fun… loosened up… right?"

Graham and Clint glanced at each other warily. It was true that they had both had a lot of fun flying in their own Iron Man suit. They both unanimously agreed to just keep their mouths shut. Tony still deserved what he had coming to him. Erik just watched with an amused expression on his face alongside Pepper, Jane, Thor (who had stopped making out at this point). Happy was impartial to the flight, so he simply shrugged and he too decided to remain quiet.

That left, Natasha, Bruce, Tania, and Steve. Oh boy.

Bruce approached first. "Do you realize what you could have done? If you had caught me by surprise or dropped me or had something malfunction, I could have destroyed everything!" his eyes were blazing green and his voice was starting to get rumbly, like he had bubbles in his throat. Natasha and Clint instinctively reached for their weapons. Tania's instinct was a little different. She surged forward and roughly grabbed his forearm.

"Bruce! Listen to me. Hulking out now is only going to give Tony what he almost had in the first place. Bringing out the Other Guy is only going to make what he did moot. Do you want that? Do you want Tony to win?" When that worked only marginally, she began to hum quietly, but loud enough so that he could hear. The shaking eventually stopped and he panted loudly. Tania sighed in relief.

Tony took this time to make his point. "See! See I knew it! Bruce doesn't Hulk out over just anything. And flying in a suit – albeit unexpectedly – would not have changed that. I had complete faith in Brucey here and you guys are going to punish me for that? Historically, not cool."

"What you did, was 'historically not cool'," Steve parroted, eyes hard.

"Well you would know, Mr. History Buff***(1)**."

"Tony, Tania had a panic attack in that suit!"

"But she's fine!"

"Yeah, NOW."

"I tend to live for the now, not so much the past – unlike some people."

"Tony." Pepper's voice cut through the air sharply. She crossed her arms and leaned more on one leg than the other. Uh oh, this was serious.

He raised his hands, palms out, in surrender. "Alright, alright. I admit it; that was a low blow. Still, he's freaking out over nothing. Peggy's fine."

"What- What did you say?" All of Steve's anger suddenly dissipated, all of his breath was gone, and his eyes were wide.

"I said you're freaking out over nothing. Piggy's fine."

Steve blinked a few times. He must have imagined it. "Oh, Piggy. As in, Piggy Bank, and… yeah, okay." He shut his mouth before he could say anything more. Everyone was confused as to why he suddenly stopped arguing to become so solemn, but before anyone could dwell on it, Natasha stepped up to the plate.

Tony gulped. He wouldn't get off so easily this time. "You can't kill me!" he exclaimed. "Pepper and Fury will have your heads. Right?" he looked

over at his girlfriend who seemed to be thinking about it.

Finally, she sighed. "Right. Sorry Nat, but I love him no matter how much he drives me crazy."

Tony beamed at her. "You complete me!"

She blew him a kiss. "Good luck!"

The smile fell off his face – especially when he realized that the assassin was getting closer. He backed up as she moved forward with the grace of a lioness ready to pounce on her prey.

At the last second, Tania stepped between them, facing away from Tony and towards Natasha, with her arms spread open. The genius behind her sighed in relief while the red head stared at her in slight surprise.

"Move," she ordered.

Tania shook her head. "Look, I know how much you want to kill him – trust me, we all feel that way sometimes – but it's not worth it. He's too useful to the team. Not to mention that I… I am fine. A little shaken and kind of nauseous, but I'm fine. Bruce's fine. Happy's fine. It's all good."

"You are my new favourite person," Tony said.

She whipped her head around. "None of this means I'm not angry at you," she deadpanned.

His smile turned upside down. "I take it back." Her glare hardened. "Shit."

"That will be all that's left of you when I'm done!" Natasha threatened taking another step forward. Tania placed both of her hands on the agent's shoulders – a risky move on her part – and pushed firmly back.

"Natasha…"

There was a tense stand-off before the red head sighed and stepped back. Tony threw his arms around Tania from behind. "I changed my mind. You're my favourite person again."

She laughed emptily. "Don't think I'm not above revenge. Remember that. Keep your senses peeled because I will get you for this."

He let go of her as if he had been burned. "Pepper!" he whined, "The other Avengers are threatening me!"

"I know, Honey. But you're going to have to deal with it."

He groaned.

With that said and done, Tania fixed her hair and clothes before walking up to Jane with a slightly less bright than usual smile. "Hi, my name's Tania."

"Jane," the female doctor returned with a shy quirk of her lips. They shook hands as Happy introduced himself to Erik (who was suspiciously staying at least ten feet away from Clint at all times).

Graham waltzed up next to his sister and he and Jane exchanged pleasantries. "I'm Graham."

"Jane. And let me guess. Brother and sister?" They both nodded at the same time. "Cool." Clint then called for Graham, leaving the two women somewhat alone. "He's hot," Jane commented.

Tania stared at her incredulously. "Excuse me?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry. Darcy must've worn off on me. But don't worry. Thor's my… er…"

"God?" Tania offered.

She chuckled quietly. "I guess you could say that. Still, is your brother snatched up yet?"

The brunette felt the corners of her lips rising as she answered. "Yeah, he's got a really nice girlfriend named Sammie back home. She would've come, but a school trip to Portugal prevented it." She shrugged. "It's a great opportunity for her though, I'm glad she took it. Though Graham's going to miss her like crazy, I can tell. She officially leaves the day after tomorrow and didn't want to risk flying with us to Malibu there and back."

"Ah." She nodded in understanding.

Tania tilted her head in observation of the woman before her. She had auburn hair that fell around her shoulders in straight lines that shone in the sunlight and pretty brown eyes. She was kind of pale, but not so much that she looked sick or anything. There was a faint hue of purple beneath her eyes that was barely noticeable that suggested many late nights. She was kind of small, height and weight wise. She was a few inches shorter than Tania (maybe about five feet five inches give or take?) and probably about a size four dress size.

It was such a contrast to Thor's massive figure and big personality. Everything about Jane screamed 'introvert', from the way she shifted from foot to foot, from the way she bit her lip nervously when there was nothing to be nervous about, and from the way she held herself: slouched and head down but gentle and delicate. Compared to Thor, she was a china doll. It would be interesting to see how the two of them interacted together, Tania decided.

Just then, an outburst caught their attention and they both turned their heads to see the most current drama. Natasha and Tony were at it again.

"If you think I'm going to fly that thing again, you're crazy!"

"Well it's the only way back! Unless you want someone to carry you, I'm sure Katniss wouldn't mind."

She grit her teeth. "I do not want to be carried and I do not want to fly in an Iron Man suit! Send me a jet! Hell, send me a freaking quinjet and I'll be fine."

"Why are you so against my suits? Millions of women find it sexy."

"Well I'm not your typical woman!"

"Well that's blatantly obvious."'

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing!"

"STARK!"

Needless to say, it took three of them to pull Natasha off of Tony. He took off immediately after, not even waiting for Pepper, who simply sighed and followed after him. Thor and Jane followed, with the astrophysicist and her bags in his big muscular arms. Happy and Bruce didn't hesitate to jump back into their suits as well, shooting off into the sky. That left Clint, Natasha, Steve, and Tania.

The red head flat out refused to put on another suit and Tania was looking at hers apprehensively. Steve and Clint didn't want to lose sight of the others, but they trusted JARVIS to lead them to Malibu safely.

Clint put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and it was a miracle she didn't flip him onto the ground, breaking his arm (and probably his spine) in the process. Her hand did twitch for a weapon probably stashed somewhere on her person.

The archer leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Her face softened and she nodded. He looked over at Steve and nodded, silently giving him the, "Go ahead, we'll catch up later."

Steve nodded back and turned to his own girlfriend. She was twisting her ring nervously. "I'm so proud of you, Tania."

"You said that." She smiled none the less.

"I know. And I can't stress enough that what I'm feeling is real." After a short silence, he made a suggestion playfully. "Would you rather I carry you?" the beginnings of a smirk was playing on his lips.

She snorted. "Not if you're encased in metal." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and laid her head against his neck. Instinctively, his hands snaked down to her waist and held her there. "I prefer being able to actually touch you. But I'm going to get into that suit… at some point."

He chuckled. "Whenever you're ready."

She sucked in a breath. "If you're with me, I'll always be ready to try."

He grinned like a madman. Oh the things she did to him. He pulled away. "Then let's go. Paradise awaits."

She let go of him and turned back towards her suit, which seemed to sense her will to enter and opened up from the front. She took a deep breath and walked up to it, eyeing it warily before turning around and stepping backward into it. In the blink of an eye, she felt metal against every part of her body and now looked through a rectangular screen with percentages and targets and heat signatures that bugged her to no end. Still, if she could handle flying, she could handle an annoying screen.

She waited only for a second before shooting up into the air, leaving behind a cloud of dust in her wake. Wind roared in her ears despite the fact that she couldn't actually feel the breeze as JARVIS guided her towards her friends. They all quickly came into view as Steve came up behind her. She smiled at him as she felt her lunch lurch.

She sped up until she was beside the others and tuned in her built in comms to join in the conversation – maybe it would distract her from the nausea.

"How many suits have you made?" Happy was asking, obviously directed at Tony.

The inventor checked his forearm. "Uh, you know. Just enough to get us all to Malibu."

Bruce did the mental math. "That's sixteen suits total! Where do you find the time to build these?"

"Um… you know… when you're not there."

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows; not that anyone could see. "But… we're always in the lab together."

"Uh… not always. Hey look! A cloud! And it's shaped like a wormhole!"

Everyone looked forward to see what Tony was talking about. There were several clouds ahead of them, all puffy and white. But none of them looked like a wormhole. "What do you mean, Friend Tony? I see no such thing," Thor commented.

"I'll show you," the billionaire answered. He zoomed forward like a bullet – right through a cloud, leaving behind a vortex-like effect.

"Cool!" Graham exclaimed before flying through the "worm hole" and twirling as he went.

"I love how everyone's following suit," Tony said with a grin.

Everyone groaned at the bad pun. "Shut up!"

All flying people turned around to face a quinjet with Clint and Natasha piloting. They both waved and pointed to their headsets. "Hey guys!" Clint greeted.

"Where'd you get the quinjet?" Steve wanted to know.

Clintasha shared a look before answering in sync. "Classified."

Everyone groaned for an entirely different reason.

***(1) Get it? ****_Buff?_**** Cuz he's so... buff. Yeah... I'm just gonna... okay bye! ;D**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N. Hey there guys! Sorry this is a day late, I've been SO busy. Anyway, here's the unlucky number 13th chapter that's kinda short but hopefully satisfying. The big time machine is coming up! 1-3 more chapters to go! You excited? Hope you guys enjoy! :D Oh, and P.S. The beginning is a bit disgusting. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

Chapter 13

Tania retched into the toilet, clutching the ceramic bowl with white fingers. She couldn't breathe. Her throat was blocked with disgusting vomit that penetrated her taste buds and nostrils in a way she couldn't escape. Her chest seized and she leaned over the toilet again to puke. She sucked in a large breath before even more food came tumbling out.

Panting, she wiped her mouth with the towel provided by someone off to her side as another person wiped at her forehead and held her hair back. Her complexion was mildly green and she felt weak in the knees despite the fact that she sat down on the tile floor.

She remained above the bowl for several minutes, just waiting for more – but it never came, and she sat back against the wall adjacent to the toilet in relief. The movement made her dizzy and she groaned; squeezing her eyes shut.

She heard various murmurs that sounded like Natasha and Pepper but she didn't understand what they were saying. She vaguely registered a loud flush but paid it no heed.

When she was finally able to open her eyes, the two red heads' blurred figures cleared and she saw their worried faces not far from her own. It was obvious that they both held their breath.

"S-sorry," she apologized, trying weakly to brush off Natasha's warm hands from her shoulders that she only just realized was there.

"Don't be. It's Tony's damn fault you're in this situation," the assassin reassured.

Tania hiccupped. "I'm going to fucking kill him."

Chuckles echoed throughout the large bathroom. "I think Steve's got that covered," Pepper said.

"Probably." The brunette pushed herself into a straighter position on the floor as her head slowly cleared. "But I'm going to bring him back to life so that I can kill him all over again. And then revive him, just because I like you Pepper."

The CEO smiled and nodded her thanks.

"I still haven't had my go at him," Natasha reminded the others. "I'm pretty pissed."

"Not as much as me."

"Wanna bet?"

"Not… right now. Too sick."

"Agreed."

"I don't even know what happened! The way to New Mexico was totally fine, but on the way back I get motion sickness? What the hell?"

"The second time was a lot longer…" Pepper commented.

"I guess."

"And you did do a lot of flips to try and outshine your brother."

"I did not!"

"Yeah, you did." She sounded vaguely amused.

Tania frowned. "Not to-"

Natasha raised her eyebrow in a way that made the brunette's jaw snap closed with an audible click.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door. "Ladies?" Steve called, his voice muffled. "Everything okay in there?"

"Just peachy," Tania croaked back. She cursed her voice and cleared her throat, ready to try again. "I mean, yeah we're alright."

"May I come in?"

"No!" she yelled, "I don't want you in here!"

"Tania-"

"Nope! You are not allowed in here. Girls only!"

His sigh could still be heard from inside the bathroom. "Alright. Take your time. I'll be waiting for you with the others."

The three women listened to his retreating footsteps down the hallway of Tony's Malibu Mansion. When they were sure he was gone, Tania grabbed the metal rail meant to hold towels and – with one arm across her stomach – pulled herself to her feet, refusing aid from Natasha and Pepper.

As steady as she could be, she let go. Nothing happened. She dropped her other arm to her side and sat up straight, but it hurt to stretch her stomach and she slouched again. Oh well. One day of slouching couldn't hurt. She took a step forward; and then another. As she moved, her confidence grew until she reached the door and felt almost as good as new. But when she did, she turned around slowly, ever careful not to rush the movements.

"Is there a toothbrush and toothpaste in here I could use, Pepper?" she asked, blushing just the slightest bit as the green to her pallor faded.

She nodded and tapped the oval mirror above the sink. It rotated ninety degrees until it was upside down and revealed four shelves of toiletries ranging from shaving cream to perfume. Tania made her way over and reached for a spare toothbrush.

After deeming her mouth minty fresh enough to kiss Steve without him gagging, the three of them parted ways with the magnificent bathroom that they never really got the chance to admire.

Pepper led them to their rooms which, unlike the Tower, were all on the same floor with a spider-web layout and a family room in the middle. Once they each went their separate ways, they each changed clothes that came from the suitcases that had been placed in their rooms by the others while Tania was incapacitated.

Ten minutes later, JARVIS led them to the Hall of Armour, where the other Avengers plus Jane were admiring Tony's suits from the Mark I to the Mark VII. When they arrived, Tony spun around to face them and paled. He immediately ducked behind Clint, who chuckled and stepped aside. The billionaire gulped.

Tania walked up to him and glared harder than she ever had at anyone before, except maybe Neil. Still, she didn't feel quite at full strength yet. "You suck," she stated plainly. "And I hate you. You will pay, Tony Stark. Mark my words." It was obvious that she was mostly joking, but he wasn't sure. He just nodded and rolled his eyes, pretending he didn't care – when really, he was quivering like a leaf inside.

Natasha did no more than narrow her gaze, but it was enough to get Stark to grab his girlfriend and flee with his tail between his legs, calling out some excuse or another that no one caught.

Tania turned to her friend. "You have to teach me that."

Natasha smiled. "I'm afraid it's not something that can be taught, otherwise I would. You either have it or you don't."

She pouted. "Aw."

A calloused hand rested on her arm and immediately recognized it as Steve's. She smiled and leaned into him, placing her forehead against his neck as his arms wrapped around her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, nothing but concern in her voice.

She nodded. "Yeah, now. Did you kill him for me?"

He scoffed. "I gave him a firm talking to, but I don't think it did any good. Tony's no more scared of me than he is of the Hulk."

"True, true. So what did I miss?" She pulled her head away from him, resting both her hands on his chest and turning to face everyone else.

"Friend Tony has given us the grand tour of his marvelous abode. Our chambers are most extraordinary," Thor answered her from next to the Mark I with an arm around Jane.

Tania bounced her head up and down slowly so as not to jostle her senses too much. "Cool, cool." There was an awkward silence. No one knew what to say really, so the brunette took it upon herself to say something – anything – to break it. "I say we go out tonight. Somewhere fancy. And let's not bring Tony – and make him pay for it."

Everyone grinned.

* * *

That night, as they all sat at some fancy restaurant or other, with Tony's swiped credit cart courtesy of Natasha, they all laughed and ate and drank merrily around two long tables pushed together to fit them all. A little over an hour into the gathering, the subject somehow turned to Bruce, despite how much he evidently did not want the spotlight.

He sighed. "For the last time, she changed her number. What do you want me to do? Fly all the way to her house in one of Tony's suits and knock on the door asking her why she doesn't answer my calls?"

"I'm sure Tony wouldn't mind," Clint said as he stuffed another forkful of pasta into his mouth.

Bruce rolled his eyes. "But General Ross might."

"But this maiden does not live among her kin, correct?" Thor wanted to know from his spot diagonally across from the doctor.

"Right."

"Then I do not see the problem in visiting this 'friend' of yours. How is he to obtain knowledge of your location?"

"He has his ways," came the mumbled reply. Bruce twisted his spaghetti around and around his fork mindlessly.

Tania swallowed her bite of linguini and held out her hand across the table towards him. "Hand it over."

He blinked at her. "What?"

"Your phone. Hand it over."

Confused and slightly wary, he obeyed and slid his silver Stark phone from his jacket pocket. He dropped it in her hand and her fingers curled around the smooth surface. She tried not to let her smugness show and she flipped it open and searched through his call history. There were only five calls on it. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

She found the number she was looking for and dialed. Normally, if she was to use a phone at dinner she would excuse herself, but she wanted Bruce and the others to hear. All conversation at their tables stopped to listen to what she had to say.

"Hi! I'm looking for a Ms. Betty Ross?" she said in the form of a question. Bruce's eyes widened and he stood up hastily, trying to grab his phone. Clint and Graham held him back on either side, grabbing his elbows and restraining him. Bruce sighed and banged his head on the table – he didn't get back up.

There was a pause as she waited for the woman on the other end of the line to finish talking. She nodded even though she knew that the woman couldn't see her. "Yes, how peculiar. However, would you happen to know where she is right now? Or perhaps some way I can contact her?"  
Another pause. Everyone held their breath. "Really? Oh that's too bad." She stopped again, nails clacking against the table with her other hand as she nodded and hummed along to the lady's ramblings. "Yes, well, that seems like a perfectly good reason to move. But listen, do you think it would be possible to do some digging and find her number for me? I'll give you mine and you can call me back when you have it, does that sound good? Great. Okay, do you have a pen and paper handy? Perfect. Okay, so that's 714-9258." Another pause. "Well that's implied." Yet another break in the conversation – well, this side anyway. "Okay. Talk to you soon. Bye." She hung up the phone and slid it down the table among the many meals to Bruce, clacking him lightly in the head with it. "And that's how it's done."

She received high fives from many around her (mainly Clint and Graham, who had let go of Bruce at this point). The doctor finally looked up and glared at her. "I hate you." He said it with no venom and she knew he didn't mean it. She was one of those rare people who saw more than just the mild-mannered doctor (the others being Tony and Betty) and could hear the gratitude in his voice that he attempted to keep hidden. She smiled at him warmly before returning to her delicious meal.

The next couple of hours were filled with stories told by all and several rounds of dessert were shared around the table at five minute intervals so that everyone could have a taste. It somehow turned into a game of who could last the longest in a twisted version of musical chairs. The desserts would continue to rotate until people dropped out one by one because they were too full. Jane stopped first, then Bruce, then Tania, then Natasha, then Happy, then Clint, all the way until it was just Steve and Thor. But by that time, they had run out of food and the game was declared "over".  
It was one of the happiest moments of Tania's life, but it would also be the last before something life-changing occurred.

That night, in such an unfamiliar place that was shrouded with darkness on a night with no moon, she had yet another nightmare. But this one was different. This time, instead of it being things she had already experienced, it was of something entirely new. Almost like foreshadowing, though she didn't dare believe it.

It was short, but it struck fear into her very core. She was running. She was in the puffiest dress she had ever worn and it looked incredibly old-fashioned (like, Steve-era old-fashioned) and it was SO uncomfortable. Still, she ran like the wind in bare feet through the streets of a city she didn't recognize, yet it felt familiar – like she knew the way. She was fleeing from something. But from what, she had yet to learn. But then she stepped on her dress into a puddle of mud and knew nothing more.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N. Hey guys! Long time no write! Sorry bout that, I've been SWAMPED with stuff to do. But I promised no more than 2 weeks, so I spent a good few hours on this to keep that promise today :D And for some of you that may or may not be getting impatient, SPOILER ALERT! The time machine is discovered in this chapter. END SPOILER! So yeah, hope you all enjoy and sorry if it's not that good today. I've acutally STOPPED reading Avengers FanFiction. :O I've been reading the Lord of the Rings (the actual series) and in the middle of Two Towers and I've been reading the movie fanfiction as well. But don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story. I like the characters too much :D Enjoy!**

Tania awoke to the sound of walls lifting slowly and dramatically. It was a sort of mechanical sound, something that faintly resembled trumpets. As the sound continued slowly, screeching throughout the ever silent room, she also heard the undertones of waves crashing on the shore. It was barely audible, but with those sounds and the brightness that slowly grew behind her eyelids, she came to her senses.

She was in Malibu, California. She was in Tony Stark's beach house. She had flown in an Iron Man suit. She had barfed in the toilet. What a day. She groaned and shifted on the bed. Where were her blankets? She groggily forced her eyelids to flutter open and squinted at the beige ceiling. She slowly pushed herself upright and observed her surroundings.

The first thing she noticed was that her sheets lay in a messy pile of satin on the floor. The next thing she noticed was that it was really hot. Sweat clung to her body and her clothes and skin felt sticky.

"Ew," she muttered under her breath as she peeled her tank top away from body to let it air out. She looked up at the ceiling yet again, as if she were talking to it. "Hey Jarvis?" Yeah, she was talking to it. "What's the temperature in this room?"

"Twenty-five degrees Celsius, Miss Banks."

"Tw-!"She spluttered. "Twenty-five degrees! Do me a favour and lower it to nineteen?"

"My pleasure."

Immediately, a cool breeze filled the round master-sized bedroom and Tania felt herself relax. She hummed. "Thanks Jarvis."

She swung her legs over the side and stepped onto the cold hardwood. She relished the feeling beneath her toes and stood up. All around the room were floor to ceiling glass windows that overlooked the ocean and the rocky cliff on which the house was perched; but she'd be damned if this building could be called a house, it was freaking mansion.

She stepped closer to the view and couldn't help pressing her palm to the glass as she gazed in amazement. At that moment, JARVIS spoke up again. "It is exactly twenty-nine degrees Celsius outside with a ninety percent chance of sun and ten percent chance of clouds. The wind chill is zero and the water temperature is approximately eighteen degrees."

"Wow," she breathed, fogging up the glass. She could barely see her reflection in the window, but she wasn't focusing on it. She probably looked like a total bed-head anyway.

That thought led her to think about how she got such terrible hair in the morning. It was probably because she had been tossing and turning. She only tossed and turned when she had nightmares. And now she was having a flashback to her nightmare.

She shivered; and not because of the cold. She didn't know why that nightmare was so particularly scary. She'd had much worse. It wasn't even that... fearful. She just... didn't like it. It was foreboding. But what could that possibly foreshadow? It didn't make any sense.

There was a whoosh sound and she spun to face the door just as it shot up into the wall. In walked Tony as if he owned the pla- oh. Well... still, this was her room. And she was in her PJs. She made a noise of disbelief, shock, and mortification. He didn't seem to mind or care very much. Even so, when he spoke, he looked at her face. (When he wasn't speaking was a different story).

"Wake up, Sunshine. We're going to the beach." he tossed something on her bed - it looked like some string and a couple patches of fabric. It took a second for it to register that it was a bikini. She rolled her eyes, stalked over to him, and shoved him by the shoulders toward the door.

"Get out!" she shouted.

"We'll be on the beach in fifteen!" he called before the door slammed shut between them. She huffed and turned around, glad that the walls were sound proof. She made her way over to her bed and fingered the bathing suit Tony had left.

Something small and red flew away in the breeze towards the ocean.

* * *

Half an hour later found Tania on the beach with everyone else in the bathing suit she herself had packed. It was a dark orange two-piece. She also wore matching sunglasses and flip-flops and carried a- bleh- pink bag. She dropped her stuff next to Natasha's (and farthest from Tony's) and set out a beach towel. She lay down on it and started applying sun screen as Natasha sunbathed.

Clint, Thor, Steve, and Graham were playing in the water while Happy, Pepper, and Bruce were making a sandcastle. Jane and Tony were sitting at a picnic table finishing breakfast and talking animatedly about something.

There was hardly anyone else there, lingering with cameras or anything of the sort. It was just the Avengers and company plus the odd person here and there. It was extremely nice. Once Tania was finished with the lotion, she ran over to Pepper, Happy, and Bruce and sat down with them. They spent a very long time on that sand castle. It more or less turned out like a mound with some windows and a flag.

Afterward, she and Pepper, along with Jane, waded into the freezing water. Jane squealed, but they all pushed forward. The guys met them halfway.  
"It's about time!" Clint exclaimed, shaking his sopping wet hair like a dog. Everyone instinctively shielded themselves with their arms as drops of water went flying.

"Yeah, well," Pepper shrugged, "we're here now. So what do you guys wanna do?"

All of them exchanged sneaky glances. The three girls suddenly looked very wary of what they were about to do. With some unspoken agreement, Steve, Graham, and Thor grabbed Tania, Pepper, and Jane around their waists and threw them over their shoulders. All three women reacted differently, but relatively the same. None of them wanted to be up high. They were all simultaneously flipped into the water with several screams. When they popped back up again, they were all furious. The guys sniggered - except Steve, he was merely chuckling. Tania looked over onto the shore and made eye contact with the red-headed assassin. She nodded briefly and turned back to her attackers. Help was on the way. Until then...

She leaped onto Clint's back, nearly tackling him completely, but he managed to hold his ground before he collapsed underwater. She laughed at him as he spluttered and struggled to regain sense of of balance.

She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I just saved your life."

He looked over his shoulder at her with a confused look. He opened his mouth to

say something when a loud SPLASH nearly knocked them over from the force of the wave. When the water calmed down, Clint and Tania realized that they were the only ones still standing - except for a smirking Natasha Romanoff.

Everyone's head appeared above the surface, gasping for air and staring up at the SHIELD agent before laughing. Everyone joined in and soon they were all playing together in the water, leaving Bruce, Tony, and Happy back on the sand.

After an unknown amount of time, the lot of them returned to land and collapsed on their respective towels, panting. Not long after they'd calmed down and warmed up, Graham sat up. "I want ice cream. Do you guys want anything? On me."

Everyone proceeded to call out flavours and toppings and preferences and he nodded, trying to remember them all. He recruited Steve to help him remember and the two of them set off in search of a beach shack that sold ice cream. Tony gave them directions.

Tania was wary as to what her brother and boyfriend would talk about, but they were soon forgotten when she was approached by a tanned and muscular surfer. He plopped down on the ground next to her.

"Hey there Pumpkin, wanna carve?"

Utter silence dominated the moment. Every Avenger in the vicinity and then some were staring at him open-mouthed. Did he really just say that? Didn't he watch the news? This was Captain America's girlfriend for goodness sake! They all watched to see what she would do.

She lowered her sunglasses to look him straight in the eye. He smirked back at her. The two of them were locked in a gaze that didn't break or waiver for the longest time. Eventually though, they both burst out laughing. Everyone was confused.

Tania shoved his shoulder playfully. "Go away Darren, you're not welcome here," she ordered with a light tone.

He simply grinned, revealing attractive dimples. "Since when?"

"Since when did you live here?"

"Since I left to follow my dreams, remember?"

"Ah yes, you're ever so aspirational dreams of becoming a professional surfer."

"Exactly."

They were interrupted by Tony, who was still gaping in shock. "You know him?"

She nodded. "Guys, this is my ex, Darren. Darren, meet the Avengers."

He raised his eyebrows slowly. "The Avengers? Nice try, cupcake. Even you couldn't be friends with people like that."

The others took offence for their friend on her behalf, but she didn't seem bothered by it. She shrugged. "I didn't think so either, but it happened. Don't you read those Yahoo! Mail headlines?"

Darren shook his head no. "You know me Babe, I don't read."

She rolled her eyes and replaced her sunglasses. "Well it was... interesting, seeing you again Darren, but I'm afraid I'm on vacation. The last thing I need is drama, so if you could please leave..."

"Aw, come on. We have so much to catch up on! How've you been?"

"I believe she asked you nicely to shove off," Tony stated roughly. At this point, no one was comfortable watching or listening, but no one wanted to leave.

Darren ignored him. "Sweet Cheeks, remember how I promised you I'd teach you how to surf?"

Tony's peeve-o-meter started rising.

Tania tilted her head in her ex-boyfriend's direction slightly. "Yeah, but I'm going to have to decline your offer. And like I said before, if you could please bug another one of your exes, that would be much appreciated."

"You never said that."

"Same diff." She waved her hand carelessly. He grabbed it - not harshly, but it wasn't exactly gentle either.

Tony stood up. "Okay! I think I've seen enough. Hit the road curly or we'll hit it with you." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

Darren regarded him with a, "Like you could take me on" glance and stood to his full height, towering over Tony by a good few inches. "I think I've seen enough to know that you couldn't hit me if you tried."

Everyone was getting fired up - this was bad.

Clint was up next, jumping to his feet to back up his friends. He was even shorter than Tony though. Still, he had his own version of Natasha's, "Master Assassin" glare. It worked wonders. "Lay off Darren," he spat the name like it was a curse word.

The surfer laughed. "Or what?"

Tania had had it. She sighed and stood up, wrinkling the towel beneath her. Before she could say anything though, Tony spoke up again.

"Or the Avengers will hunt you down and hand you to Thor over there." He jutted his thumb over his shoulder to the demi-god, who sat up straighter and narrowed his eyes at Darren. "Oh, and you'll go a few rounds with my Iron Man suit."

"Enough!" Tania yelled, stepping between them. "Darren, I'm going to ask you one more time to leave, and then I'm going to tell you. Will you please leave us in peace?"

He snorted and raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. I'll stay away from your precious, 'Avengers'. Maybe we can catch up another time." He winked at her and jogged away.

"Don't hold your breath!" she called after him, rolling her eyes yet again. SHe turned back to her circle of friends with her hands on her hips. "You guys totally over reacted. That's just his personality. He goes on the offensive really easily and all you did was provoke him. I can take care of myself."

She was angry, they could all tell. No one wanted a repeat of the mugging incident. After a few seconds of silence though, Tania stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Tony's middle (yeah, she was a bit taller than him, but not much). "Thanks," she whispered. Then, louder, she said, "But it's always nice to have back up."

She opened her arm for Clint to join and he smiled. He complied and soon they were all engulfed in a group hug. She decided that she could forgive Tony for the whole, "Iron Man Suit" thing. After all, he had everyone's best interests at heart - usually.

A few minutes later, Steve and Graham returned and it was like nothing had happened. They sat there and ate their ice cream while Bruce, Jane, and Tony discussed astrophysics and Clint and Natasha sunbathed and Happy and Pepper caught up and Graham pestered an amused Thor for information on Asgard and being a superhero with actual powers he was born with. That left Steve and Tania, who were content to just lie in the sand cuddled together and talk.

They spoke about this and that, and eventually Steve started talking about, "When I was a boy..." again. She sighed. She'd do anything to change topics.

She told him about the incident with Darren, and though Steve had originally tightened his grip on her shoulders at the jealous thoughts invading his head, he calmed down relatively fast and smiled into her hair.

"That's my girl," he whispered. The topic had indeed changed.

* * *

Later that night, Tania realized that the reason she had had a nightmare the day before was because Steve hadn't been there. That one night they slept together had been perfect. She's slept a whole ten hours! So at a little past midnight, she creeped out of her room in search of Steve.

It was almost pitch black in the house, but it had an eerie blue glow to it that probably emanated from the lamps lining the walls every couple meters. It reminded her of the Arc Reactor.

She came to the lounge and forgot which hallway led to her boyfriend. She picked one at random and followed it, hoping to come to a door engraved with his name or his insignia or something along those lines. She walked for a lot longer than she thought she would before reaching the end of the corridor to a dark door. She touched it and it flew up before her. She continued on through it, but realized that it was not a bedroom but a living room.

She looked around. "Hey Jarvis?" she whispered to the A.I. "Where's Steve?"

"He is in the kitchen," he answered. "Would you like me to inform him of your inquiry?"

"Sure, why not?"

She wandered through the mansion, eventually coming to a spiral staircase leading down. Maybe this way led to the kitchen, because this certainly wasn't it. She gripped the metal railing and made her way down the stairs very carefully, trying not to make too much noise.

She ended up standing before a glass wall that separated the staircase from what appeared to be Tony's lab. Definitely NOT the kitchen. She looked around the room, knowing that only Pepper and Rhodey had access to it. That was when she came across a little doorway under the stairs. How odd.

Curious, she turned the knob and opened it. It was pitch black in there. Steve couldn't possibly fit in there... could he? Even if he could, why would there be a kitchen in there? Well, it was Tony. His layout didn't really make much sense and everything seemed kind of topsy turvy with a modernized woman's touch (Pepper). Maybe there was a kitchen in there specifically for when Tony got hungry and was too lazy to go upstairs. She wouldn't put it past him.

Then again, the Tower had multiple kitchens, why not the mansion? If there were another kitchen, Steve would surely be in that one. Either way, there was no harm checking.

She bent over and stepped inside. She walked a bit further before coming into a room that had a tiny window at the top. It let in some moonlight as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

It appeared to be what looked like an attic of some sort... in... the basement. Okay, scratch that. Maybe it was a storage room?

There were dust-covered momentos of all different kinds lying here and there. Some had tarps over them, some didn't. There was a photo album lying on the ground as if it had been dropped. Tania tentatively picked it up and closed it, placing it on a nearby rusty old bookshelf. She respected Tony's privacy, and after what he displayed earlier, she knew that he cared for her. She didn't want to break whatever they had going friendship-wise.

With a small smile, she recalled the events of being trapped in Neil's jail cell-thing with only Tony for the first little bit. She had been cold and he'd wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm and they'd slept like that for a while. It was sweet and one of the only memories she cherished from that whole debacle.

She came back to reality when she spotted a fairly large object covered with a tarp that look like it would fall off any second. She approached it, accidentally stepping on some of the sheet that had already fallen to the floor, causing the whole thing to fall off. The sound was quiet, but it rang out like a gunshot in the silent room. Tania's gasp quickly followed.

Before her, stood some kind of... contraption. It had all these dials and buttons and switches and levers and handles and gears and pipes. It was about a foot taller than Thor and was made completely out of metal and various pieces of wood. She wondered what it was. It didn't seem like anything to do with modern technology. In fact, seeing how dusty it was, it probably hadn't been touched in decades.

She reached out to touch it.

* * *

Steve was looking around the fridge for something to eat. He was starving. He rummaged around the shelves looking for food, when a robotic voice made him jump.

"Captain Rogers, Ms. Banks has asked me to inform you that she is looking for you."

The Avenger had managed to bang his head on the roof of the fridge and grumbled to himself about "stupid computers". "Thank you Jarvis. Where is she?"

"She is currently in the living room."

"And... how do I get there?"

The A.I. led him to the living room, but she wasn't there. JARVIS then informed him that she had changed locations and had gone down to Tony's lab, presumably in search for him. He sighed and made to follow her. He really just wanted to eat, but if Tania wanted to talk to him about something at this time of night then it must be pretty important.

* * *

As soon as her fingers made contact with it, it whirred to life. Gears spun faster than she thought possibly in such a little amount of time. Buttons lit up in a colourful array of options. The entire room looked like a disco party was going on.

The unidentified NOT flying object was making a lot of noise and it was only getting louder. Tania frantically touched the place she had before in an effort to turn it off. Nothing. There was a gigantic gear behind all the button and levers and such that started to turn, very slowly, but then faster and faster. It started glowing a dominant and bright blue. It was so bright that she had to shield her eyes. She walked backward until she hit the wall. She felt a breeze start to pick up and panicked. The window up top wasn't open. What was happening? Her heart was pounding in her ears and the wind picked up, swirling in the room like a tornado. She bit back a scream just as it changed direction and yanked her toward the machine. It swept her feet out from under her, sending her crashing to the ground.

She cried out and grabbed the bookshelf to avoid being pulled any further, afraid that the spinning gear would tear her to shreds.

That was when the door opened. Someone said, "Woah!" before tumbling into the room from the sheer force of the wind. He didn't get very far, and it was obviously a he from the voice, because he was so big and heavy.

"STEVE!" she shouted, shocked that he was here too. But then she remembered telling JARVIS to tell him about her. And now she'd dragged him into this.

He rolled over at her call and his eyes widened. He held out his hand toward her. The machine's blue glow started growing bigger, its colour so thick like fog you couldn't see through it. It started to envelop the entire room.

"TANIA!" he shouted, grabbing her hand right before she slipped from the bookshelf and everything went blue.

**A/N. Spell check wasn't as good today either, so I apologize for any mistake I might have made. Also, I don't own Yahoo! Mail and there's a poll on my profile regarding Graham and Darcy as couple. Yay or nay? Go vote! ;D**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N. Heya guys! I should have TONS more time to write now, just a heads up. :D On a not-so-totally-unrelated note, this chapter is pretty lacking in... well, everything. Lacking in action, mostly. I believe all that happens is a bit of walking and some thinking. Sorry :( Didn't really know where I was going with this. Also, I don't know the date that Steve crashed the plane and i even googled it and couldn't find it (not that I looked very hard ;P). So I'm just gonna say he crashed it in March, capiche? Kay. Enjoy :D**

Chapter 15

Tingles. She was… tingling. That was her first thought. Her second one was that she felt numb and her head was throbbing. She felt dizzy even though she hadn't even opened her eyes yet. She shifted her torso, scraping her shoulder blades against the ground – the pavement. Pavement?

Why was she lying on the pavement? Had she tripped on the sidewalk in her heels? Sounded like her…

The tingles started to slowly dissipate and she could feel her hands and feet. That was when she became aware of something practically crushing her left hand. She forced her eyes open and rolled her head to the side. At first, all she saw were colourful spots that reminded her of fireworks. Once they disappeared, she saw stars, but then they faded and she could clearly see a hand holding hers in a vice grip.

Her eyes traveled up the person's arm to his shoulder, up his neck and to his troubled but handsome face. It was Steve. He too was asleep. His eyebrows were pushed slightly together, as if he were worrying about something. He was breathing deeply and his hair was falling in front of his closed eyes.

She reached over with her right hand and gently brushed it away from his face. His skin was hot to the touch, almost to the point where her fingers burned. She ignored the feeling as the dizziness started to fade. She didn't feel any pain, which was a good sign. Soon she was able to sit up, albeit slowly.

She did so and looked around, not daring to let go of her boyfriend's hand. What she saw confused her. There were buildings made of stone and brick and the occasional wood, but there were no floor-to-ceiling windows, glass walls, reflective panels, satellite dishes, or anything… modern. She didn't recognize anything.

Where were they? What had happened? She remembered a blue flash of light and then… nothing. But why was there a light? What...? she was so confused.

Just then, Steve rustled and groaned. Tania whipped her head around to face him with a worried look on her face. She crawled over to him and leaned over his head, biting her lip nervously. He was sweating profusely and his face was scrunched up even more than before.

His eyes popped open without warning, revealing the shockingly blue colour of them. She gasped slightly, watching his eyes dart this way and that before finally resting on her own. She offered him a shy smile.

From his point of view, she was surrounded by a halo of sunlight as the sun darted out from the clouds. She was his angel. He returned her smile, reaching a hand up to her cheek. She covered his hand with her own, grinning wider.

"Hey," he croaked, hating the sound of his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hi."

"Hello," she answered, sitting back. He pushed himself up as well, noticing their location for the first time. He blinked and gasped. Everything came back to him: the midnight snack, the hunt for his girlfriend, the blue contraption, grabbing Tania's hand before she was sucked into the vortex-thingy.

He looked down at their hands, still fervently grasping each other. He looked up at her, messy hair, ruffled PJs and all. She seemed confused but content, which baffled him until he realized that she was content because he was with her. But he was with her… where?

He looked around, not really recognizing anything specifically. However, the style of architecture and the names of business and the way the road was paved… everything reminded him of home. He was slapped with a sudden pang of home sickness. Even though they didn't appear to be in Brooklyn, it looked so much like the nineteen forties that it physically hurt to look at it anymore.

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples. This wasn't possible. They couldn't possibly have… time traveled, could they? Technology wasn't that far-fetched in the twenty-first century… was it? Shouldn't someone have told him about this if it were? Maybe it was just Tony. But wouldn't Tony have mentioned it? But- no! Time travel wasn't possible! Right, like aliens and Norse Gods were impossible too. He sighed. His head ached.

Tania placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back down to Earth from his thoughts. "Steve?" she whispered, almost afraid to disturb the silence of this "new world" around them.

He searched her brown eyes for the emotions laid out for the world to see, the window into the soul. She was scared, but not much. She was wary, suspicious, jumpy, confused, nervous, and… in shock? He had never been very good at reading emotions – especially that of a woman. Yet he thought he did a pretty good job this time.

"Tania," he whispered, "where do you think we are?"

She bit her lip again, looking off to the side for a bit before returning his gaze. "I honestly have no clue. I've been all over the country and I've never seen anything like this place before. Canada, maybe?"

He chuckled. "I doubt that." He frowned. He doubted his own theory as well. He decided he shouldn't worry her with his suspicions and rose to his feet, pulling her to hers as well. He hadn't let go of her hand at all. They both craned their necks, twisting around to try and get a better look at this random place they had been dropped in.

"This place is kind of creepy," Tania said just as the clouds covered the sun, darkening the entire street. Her grip on his hand tightened, but other than that she gave no signs of fear.

He nodded slowly. "I guess. Where are all the people?" He started moving forward. Tania followed him silently. Neither of them knew where they were going, simply strolling down the road.

It was too silent. It was creepy and Steve wanted it gone. "What do you remember about how we got here?" he asked her, not making eye contact, just observing his surroundings.

She shrugged (he only noticed because the hand he was holding moved up and down in a weird way). "Not much. The last thing I remember is going to bed after a day at the beach."

Steve stopped walking, drawing her up short. Did she really not remember anything? "What about the machine? You were up in the middle of the night looking for me." When she stared blankly at him, he tried a different tactic. "Do you remember the blue…?"

She gasped and stepped back. Her eyes glazed over as if she were in a deep flashback of what had happened. He waited patiently for her to return to him. It didn't take long, three seconds at most, and she stepped forward. Her knees failed her and she collapsed into his arms.

Slightly surprised, he hugged her to his chest and cradled her head, resting his chin on her crown. He rubbed her back and inhaled her scent. He didn't really know what to do in a situation like this, so he simply offered what comfort he could.

When Tania recovered, she pushed away from him lightly and stood on her own two feet (so like her). She blinked away the emotions swelling inside of her and straightened her back. "What… what do you think that was?"

She was obviously referring to that contraption in the hidden compartment near Tony's lab. He had his theories but he didn't want to worry her; not until he was more sure. Time travel seemed extremely far-fetched, even to the ninety-something year-old super soldier. He shrugged, avoiding her gaze.

She noticed but didn't comment, holding back her tongue. "I wonder what time it is," she said instead.

He shrugged again. "I don't have my watch on me."

"And I don't have my phone."

Good thing too, he thought. If she were to bring that kind of complicated technology to the forties… Stop! You don't even know if… if this IS the forties! Still, he couldn't keep his mind from wondering.

They walked in relative silence until they reached a news stand. Tania approached it curiously, fingering the papers. "You don't see many of these around anymore," she pointed out.

That simple and innocent statement made him wince. "Yeah," he agreed. A sudden thought occurred to him. He grabbed the first paper he saw and practically ripped it open. He tore it almost to pieces (stupid super strength) but not completely. He searched frantically for a date. When he found it, his blood ran cold.

_May 15th 1945_

He felt light-headed. He was back in his time. The paper slipped from his hands. It was a few days after his crash into the ocean. The paper hit the ground with barely a sound. His mind was too preoccupied with the impossible. His breathing was becoming ragged. He started hyperventilating. Where was his inhaler? Oh…

"Steve?" Tania's voice penetrated his thoughts like sunlight through a thick rain forest. He ran to it, desperate to bask in the light he craved. He clung to her like a lifeline. She grounded him. He needed to stay together. No panic attacks allowed! He bent his knees. He wanted to sit down.  
Seeing this, Tania quickly wrapped an arm around his shoulders before gently lowering him back onto the pavement. "Steve?!" she cried out. It was the loudest either of them had ever been since they awoke in such a strange place. She was getting increasingly worried when she noticed that his gaze was completely unfocused. "Stay with me! You're fine! You're with me! We're together! Everything's going to be okay!" she was close to tears now (and it took quite a lot to reduce to Tania to tears). "STEVE!"

He jumped. Okay, so that may have been a tad loud, but in her defense, he looked like he was going to faint. He was extremely pale and he was even shaking. He seemed somewhat aware though, which was an improvement.

She noticed the discarded and ripped paper lying on the ground and gently picked it up, opening it to the page he had been looking at. Her eyes roamed the ink for several seconds, wondering what had gotten him so worked up. The style of writing seemed different, but that wasn't uncommon in different locations. The pictures were all black and white, which was altogether odd, but maybe the press company was running low on money or something?

That was when she spotted it – in tiny black font in the top right corner: the date. That couldn't be right. How old was… this…

…

"HOLY SHIT!" she gasped, standing up and gripping the paper with white fingers. "It's not… it can't… we can't… but how…?" she tossed the newspaper over her shoulder and grabbed another one, checking the date. It was the same. She repeated the process until all of the papers were scattered across the sidewalk. Her heart was pounding so loud that she swore her ears were twitching from the vibrations that reverberated throughout her entire body.

She started crying. The tears started flowing and her nose started running and a horrible sob escaped her body. She clutched her chest and fell to her knees, ignoring the stinging of pavement against her bare legs. Blood dripped from her open skin, but she didn't care. It was nothing compared to this. NOTHING.

This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be in the past! It just… she grabbed fistfuls of her hair and squeezed (not pulled, why would someone ever pull on their hair?). She became increasingly hot, sobbing uncontrollably. She closed her eyes, unwilling to open them and see the reality of her situation. This WASN'T happening.

She shook her head back and forth rhythmically, not stopping. She whimpered as another sob smacked her chest. "NO!" she cried out, shaking her head harder and squeezing her fists harder. "NONONONONONO!"

This was apparently enough to shake Steve out of his daze temporarily. He blinked. He spotted her in such a state. His immediate instinct was to wrap his arms around her and protect her. From what, he wasn't sure, but he knew that his instincts were rarely ever wrong and quickly pulled her into a rough hug. He himself was quaking.

The ominous clouds they had noticed before started to clear and the sun shone its light on the couple. It must have been early morning; that was why no one was out. But people were bound to come eventually, and Steve would rather not meet anyone he would recognize or maybe someone would recognize him. He wasn't sure on the specifics, but he didn't want to take any chances.

He nudged her and stood up on wobbly legs. He gently pulled her to his feet, suddenly aware of how glad he was to have her. He didn't know how he would survive this without her. She didn't seem aware of anything, but her sobs had quieted, leaving only tears in their wake.

He gently tugged her in the direction of an alley, hoping to avoid prying eyes in case there were any. They had nowhere to go. They had no one to turn to. Well… no. He shoved the thought away with as much force as he could muster. Not yet. Don't think of them. One step at a time.

He took a deep breath and kept walking. She followed in a daze, her face and eyes completely blank.

"I love you," he said, unable to think of anything else.

She looked up at him, flicking her gaze to his face. She could see the pain and the fear and all the complicated webs of emotions he was trying to push down, for her sake. She gulped. "I love you too," she whispered, unable to do more than that.

It must have been so much harder for him than it was for her, and she didn't want to be a burden. She wiped her eyes hastily with her forearm and tugged at her yellow cami. They walked for what seemed like hours before stopping by some trash cans.

Steve swallowed his memories down. He used to get beat up in alleys all the time, alleys just like this one. He knew immediately that this wasn't one he had been in before, but he still remembered using the lid of a trash can as a shield. How… ironic? Was that the word? He couldn't remember.

He leaned against the wall for support as his breathing became shallow. Tania pressed herself against his chest, burying her face in his neck and allowing him to inhale her intoxicating scent. It was distracting enough to keep him from thinking about the past –er, rather, the present? He didn't know anymore. He didn't know what to think. Nothing made sense.

He did know that the stench of the garbage nearby was almost overwhelming Tania's sweet smell (he briefly wondered what shampoo she used) and decided to lead her away from it. They needed… food. You need food for survival right? Right. What else do you need? Water, shelter, elec- er, not so much electricity. More water, food, and shelter.

Maybe they could find a hotel-? No, what if someone recognized him? Or worse, he saw someone he knew. Was he even in Brooklyn? Or anywhere else he had been in his time? Somewhere deep in his mind, he guessed that they were still in Malibu (it made the most sense), but he ignored it and pressed on. Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe if he went to sleep in his dream, he would wake up in real life – in the present. Or at least, Tania's present. Wait, no, she was here with him, so maybe it was Tony's present? Clint's present? Whatever, the pres- or maybe it was future? ARGH!

He shook his head and pulled her into the next street. It was still deserted. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see anyone. It would be a confirmation of absolute certainty where they were. Yet without this confirmation, he felt like he could be anywhere. He needed more proof than a date.

The two of them stumbled across a hotel and made their way inside. It was like something you'd see in a black and white movie – except in colour. Tania was in awe. It was just so… unreal. Going back in time… she just needed… of all things… time. She needed time to let it sink in. Maybe then she could deal with it.

They walked up to the counter, opened their mouths, closed them, turned around, and left. There wasn't even someone behind the desk, just a bell they could ring. The two of them had no money and they were both in their pyjamas. Steve quietly informed her that they were both showing enough skin to be considered prostitutes in this time period.

Tania's eyes widened as she looked down at her matching yellow and orange cami and short shorts. She also wasn't wearing a bra (she been planning on going to bed, okay?). She blushed profusely. It wasn't much, but it was a sign that she was slowly returning to normal.

Steve himself was only in a muscle shirt and boxers. They were both suddenly self-conscious, not just of anyone else noticing them, but of each other's roaming eyes. They let their hands go and avoiding their gazes. They continued walking side by side. Where were they to go? According to Steve and the position of the sun, it was about five o'clock in the morning. People were bound to come out of their homes any time now.

They eventually came upon what appeared to be a run-down house. Its windows were boarded up and the door was practically falling off its hinges. Both of them doubted if anyone lived there… but then again, there was a world war going on.

The realization sent Tania into a mental tail spin. A war… happening right now. A worldwide war… oh my. She trailed her boyfriend into the broken home as they explored. They knocked and shouted to see if anyone was home, but no one was. It was a poor excuse of a house, at least compared to Avengers Tower.

Steve stared at it with something akin to longing and disgust at the same time. It was an odd combination of feelings written across his face in what looked like a sneer.

Once the entire house was thoroughly inspected, Tania and Steve nestled into the totally uncomfortable and lumpy twin bed in a shambled room, cuddled close for warmth and love and all around need. They were spooning, with Steve's arm wrapped lovingly around her waist, their legs entwined over the edge of the horrible mattress.

Neither of them really felt like sleeping, but they were both just in overall shock. One question stood out above all else: What were they going to do?

**A/N. Can you tell I had I had writer's block? :P Lol, I also fixed the date by doing some research (*cough* re-watching Captain America*cough*). So technically, Steve was... 22. But in July he turned 23... Okay. That makes sense with my timeline. S'all good :D**

**P.S. I'm thinking about doing a spin-off with Graham/Darcy, would you guys read that? Just curious.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N. Greetings! So I went back and fixed the date in chapter 15 to May 15th 1945, a week after Steve crashed the plane (I watched the movie ;) ). So just to clear things up, it's 1945 and Steve is 23 as of July of 2012 (they left when it was September). I'm also setting a goal for myself of writing 50 000 words for this story by the end of July, which is about 1 500 words a day, so you can expect me to be updating a lot :) Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 16

Tania could feel the skin pulling and sagging beneath her eyes. Her lids felt heavy and her eyelashes were obstructing her vision. Struck by another nightmare, she could do nothing but snuggle closer into Steve's chest in a meager attempt at protection and the feeling of safety.

But then he shifted, groaning quietly, eyes fluttering open. He sat up with the force of a bulldozer, knocking Tania to the floor with a startled cry and shaking the entire building.

Steve leaned over the edge of the bed (this felt familiar…) to check on his girlfriend. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice deep and gravely from sleep.

She nodded dazedly, bringing a hand to her head. Steve nodded and rolled back onto the bed, swinging his legs over the edge cautiously before standing up.

It took Tania only a second to notice that something was wrong. And no, it wasn't that they were back in time. Well… okay, that was wrong, but the fact that Steve had neglected to help her up was almost as earth-shattering. If it were anyone else, she wouldn't care, but this was Steve. He was most chivalrous, gentlemanly person she had ever met. Granted that she lived in the twenty-first century, but now that he was back in the forties he… stopped? What…?

Her train of thought was interrupted by a loud rumbling that was her stomach. She would have laughed had the situation not been so… tragic. She stood up and dusted herself off, not managing to completely erase the layer of dirt from her clothes and bottom, on which she'd landed somewhat harshly. There was a little stinging that remained but it was easy to ignore in favour of watching Steve sit on the bed, head hung low and fingers clutching the mattress with enough strength to break someone's bones.

She thought she saw a single tear hit the ground in front of him. Her heart clenched for him. But what could she do? She walked over to him, wincing as the floorboards creaked beneath her bare feet. She put her arm around him and clutched both shoulders as she bent over him. She pressed a kiss to his temple.

He reached up and grasped her right hand without looking up. It was a silent thank you. She acknowledged it with another kiss to the top of his head. She wished she could say something, anything, to make him look at her. Just once. But no words came to mind or tongue, leaving her speechless and helpless. Tania never liked feeling helpless.

A crash resonated throughout the room from somewhere else in the little house. Steve was up faster than Tania could register. He stood in front of her protectively as she straightened herself as well. Slowly, he stepped forward. He inched towards the doorway, cringing as the floor groaned beneath his weight. As soon as he cleared the door, a broom came out of nowhere and whacked him in the face.

On instinct, his head reared back but his hands grabbed the stick and pulled, easily yanking it out of the attacker's grasp. He twirled it and pointed it at the person who had hit him.

It was an angry-looking old lady with spastic grey hair and dressed head-to-toe in multi-coloured wool. She had an overwhelmingly wrinkled face with deep set black, beady eyes and a button nose. She was only about five feet tall with a large hunch but she looked ready to kill.

"Get out!" she shrieked in a shrill, high-pitched voice. Steve and Tania blinked in surprise. "GET OUT!"

* * *

Tania and Steve rushed out of the house, trying not to trip on anything on the way. Tania covered her head with her arms as the old lady whacked at them with her broom. "AAAAAAAAAND STAY OUT!" with that said, she slammed the door shut, only managing to break the wall and have it fall through, but when it did, she was gone.

The two of them stared at it in befuddlement. Had that lady owned the home they'd just slept in? It was a possibility. But they didn't have long to ponder as gasps erupted around them and they turned around to face the bustling streets of Malibu, California.

Men and women had stopped whatever they were doing to stare at the couple, clothed only in their pyjamas from the future. Most of the cars had continued on without notice, but some of them had stopped and their drivers had gotten out, staring at them, open-mouthed.

Everyone was dressed in the nineteen-forties apparel to a tee, which you'd expect when you time traveled to that specific point in time. There were hardly any colours in the clothing around them, reflecting a wardrobe of beige, brown, white, black, and grey. Women all had at least shoulder-length hair that were their natural colours and styles and always wore skirts, men wore business suits and hats or suspenders and white collared shirts with trousers.

The cars were really what cemented it for Tania. They were old, things you'd see in movies like… well, a movie that took place in the forties. She couldn't describe them, but… they looked extremely hard to control and drive.

People were pointing, some were laughing, others were horrified. Tania didn't know what to do. They had to get out of the public eye, lest someone recognize the famed Captain America who had gone missing in the ocean just a week before.

Steve grabbed her hand forcefully and tore through the streets. He had never been to California before Tony had flown them to his beach house. Not even in the forties. He didn't know where he was going. Still, the layout wasn't much different than Brooklyn or New Jersey. He shoved people out of his way, bolting for cover.

Tania couldn't keep up. She felt like she was flying and that her arm was about to be ripped off all at once. It was exhilarating and painfully scary at the same time.

He turned a sharp corner into an alleyway between two buildings and kept going. There were streets with people and cars on both sides. There was nowhere to go.

A bustle of speech and laughter and cries of, "they went that way!" echoed from around the corner they had just come from. They both looked frantically for a way out, using both hands to do it. There wasn't a door to either building nor were there any vents they could fit through – there was, however, a balcony about fifteen feet above them.

Their eyes met. Tania sucked in a breath and nodded. With only slight hesitation, Steve wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. He back up a few steps and then, with a grunt, he threw her towards the balcony. She squeaked.

She was going to fly over it completely. In a desperate haze, she flailed, grabbing hold of the banister and flipping over it, slamming into the metal bars harshly. She hissed, gripping the pole tighter.

"Sorry!" she heard faintly before he grunted and the balcony shook violently, as it was simply an attachment made completely of metal. She felt his strong hands wrap around her forearms and pull her up and over the railing, just as people started to flood the alleyway.

Another balcony stood out from the opposite building about another fifteen feet away – but this one had a ladder that could be adjusted. Steve looked around and spotted a potted plant in the corner. He grabbed it with one hand and thrust it at the platform, causing it to rattle and the ladder to elongate until it reached them.

Steve gestured for her to go first and she did, completely forgetting about his possibly "losing his gentlemanly charm" and focused on climbing, one rung at a time. She felt him close behind her and she soon came to the next pathetic terrace.

People shouted at them from below, but they both ignored them. They continued upward like that until they reached the top, where Steve threw her onto the opposite roof and then jumped after her. She landed roughly and rolled to soften her landing. Steve did the same, stopping just before he crashed into her. They both lay there, panting. No one could follow them without the help of a super soldier. They were safe… for now. If someone came up through the stairs…

With that thought in mind, the two of them got up again, ignoring their racing hearts and achy feet. Hand in hand, they leaped from building to building across the city. They had no idea where they were going, but they knew they couldn't be seen. They could disrupt everything they had ever known. Their timeline, their world… their futuristic world… could be at stake.

Finally, after a lifetime of running and springing, they stopped. They were both out of breath, Tania even more so. She collapsed. She lay there, panting, for quite some time.

When she finally felt less tired, she sat up to see Steve lying next to her and staring at the sky like a corpse. Were it not for the rise and fall of his chest, she would think him dead.

She sighed. Her stomach rumbled again. She didn't know what they were going to do, but there were a few things that were certain.

1. Basic survival instinct. They needed food, water, and shelter. Right now, the priority was food.  
2. They could not be seen unless disguised.  
3. They were in Malibu, California, May of nineteen-forty-five.  
4. The Steve in the past was buried in the ice somewhere, "sleeping".  
5. Peggy and Howard were somewhere in Europe. Bucky was dead.

First thing's first: find food and drink. Tania tentatively touched his bicep. His head lolled towards her, making eye contact. Words had barely been spoken since they'd arrived, but neither of them knew what to say. It was almost like they were in one of those silent movies.

He pushed himself onto his elbows and looked around. "What do we do now?" His voice rang in her ears and she clung to it. It was like a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. She needed to hear it again.

"I don't know what's in store for us," she answered, "but I know that I'm starving and it has to be about midday, judging by the position of the sun, but my sense of direction has never really been spot on." She offered him a weak smile. "How about some breakfast?"

"And how do you propose we do that?"

She pressed her lips together. "I've given this a bit of thought, and… well… I think the only 'solution' to that specific problem, is to disguise ourselves and go out to a diner or something. But we'd need money to buy clothes and food, so unless you want to steal it, then we'll need to find a way to earn it. But on such short notice I have no idea how." She shrugged.

He hummed and looked down at his body as if deep in thought. "What if we… sold something?"

"Like what?"

"A story. To the press."

"About you?"

"Not necessarily."

"Then about what?"

"I don't know. Maybe something about the future?"

"Steve we can't! If we disrupt anything here, it will affect the future. We need to be extremely careful about this! We were lucky that no one recognized you, but because they've seen us their lives have been altered. It may have been just a small moment that didn't change the outcome of their lives or it may have just shifted history itself!"

"You seem to have a pretty nifty grasp on this… travelling through time sort of thing."

She chuckled lightly. "Not really. Drew's a Doctor Who fan."

"What?"

"Never mind. But the way I see it," she shifted positions so that she sat cross-legged in front of him, "there are an innumerable amount of theories pertaining to space and time, more specifically, to travelling through it. One theory is that there are many parallel universes, one for each decision anyone makes at any point in time. If I was stuck at fork in the road and didn't know which way to go, there would be two parallel universes: one where I go left, and the other where I go right. This applies to everyone everywhere and every little variable possible. If we change things here and then somehow get back to our time, it won't be our time anymore. We will have altered this parallel universe, therefore differentiating it from the one we know. If we go into the future of this dimension, the future will be different.

"Another theory is that everything happens for a reason. If that's the case, then we were meant to come here because everything we do is planned. Everything we do right now will inevitably turn out to make our future because our future is made because we went back into the past.

"There is also something called a paradox, which is really complicated but basically if someone goes back in time and does something to prevent something from happening and then returns to the future, if they prevent that something from happening, they never would have gone back in time to prevent it and therefore it would happen anyway, forcing them to go back in time. It's a continuous loop that you do not want to get caught up in and is very confusing.

"These are the only theories I know but I'm sure there are so many more. I don't know which one to believe. But just to be safe, we better not try and change anything. I don't want to alter our future… or rather, our present… future. Whatever!" She huffed and rubbed at her eyes. "What was the original point?"

"I can't sell the press a story about the future."

"Right. That. Do you understand it now? Why we can't do that?"

"I think so."

"Good. I don't think I could do it again."

He laughed once and it was really quiet and his mouth was closed but it was something… right? He sat up completely and stretched his arms out behind him, pushing his chest out. "I guess we can think about time travel and that crazy stuff after we've had something to eat. All this running has me famished. I could eat a horse."

She nodded. "Yeah, I could probably eat about... a whole pig."

He looked at her curiously and she blushed. "Well… I just meant that-that I'm hungry is all!" She could feel herself turning an embarrassing shade of red.

He smiled, lips closed, and stood up. He held his hand out for her to take and for a second she looked surprised, but she brushed it off and took it. He lifted her to her feet and she smiled at him – a real, genuine smile. They were conversing and he was acting normal again. It was nice. It felt like they were pretending that nothing was wrong, that nothing bad had happened.

"So…" Tania said, swinging their hands back and forth between them like a grandfather clock.

Suddenly his eyes lit up and he straightened. "My account. I… I have money in my bank account. If we can get there, then I can pay for anything."

"Do you remember how much is in your account?"

He scrunched his eyebrows together. "Um, I don't know… four hundred?"

She nodded. "That will do. And the currency is lower now isn't it?"

He nodded. "That could buy us food for a long while, a lot longer than in twenty-twelve."

"Mmhm. So, how do we access it?"

"Well, assuming the army didn't say I was killed in action just yet, we'd either have to get back to Brooklyn and withdraw money, or find the bank in this city and have them call the one in Brooklyn and verify who I… am. Oh."

"So… they'd have to know that Steve Rogers was alive in order to borrow money."

"Yes."

"Oh."

Then her eyes glinted. "I think I have an idea that just might work."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N. Hello everyone! Surprised to hear from me so soon? Glad too I hope xD So here's the next chapter where you get to see Tania's idea; I hope you guys don't think it's awful. See you at the bottom of the chapter! Enjoy :D**

Chapter 17

Tania stood impatiently in line, tapping her foot and keeping her head down, hoping to avoid too much notice. It wasn't really working. People were still staring at her like she was a carnie (no offense Clint!) despite her meagre attempts at avoiding eye contact. She was alone; Steve couldn't risk being seen, therefore he had stationed himself in the parking lot across the street behind a particularly large black car and watched through the window.

Neither of them liked the idea of being separated, but they both knew it was the only way. Through all of this, they really only had each other, and now they were apart, even if they could still see each other.

Tania hadn't told him what her idea was. She knew he wouldn't like it no matter which way she ended up going. See, her plan could go one of two ways. But to understand it, you have to know that her plan involved walking into the bank and convincing the teller to give her the money. It was one hell of a long-shot, but it was the only option besides outright stealing it.

So she waited in line for her turn at Steve's bank (which was thankfully national and not just state-local) to approach a specific teller. She wanted the one two booths from the right. He appeared to be about five years older than her with the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow and shaggy brown hair and rounded face. He had boring grey eyes and was dressed in the mandatory work uniform. He was her best chance.

Now see, she could either pretend to cry and win his sympathy or basically seduce him into giving her the money. She knew that if she told Steve he would try and forbid her from the latter, not that she'd listen. Still, she didn't need to hear his pleas to stop before going in. She knew that she had to do what she had to do. But she would admit that she preferred the former.

She was up next. Her heart rate was increasing and she risked a glance toward the car Steve was parked behind across the street. It may have been a trick of the light, but she thought she saw a thumbs up through the front window.

"Next!" she sucked in a deep breath… and walked forward. She had to keep herself completely neutral until she decided which way she was going to go. She headed over to the man and kept her face blank. She pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket but didn't reveal it yet.

"Hi," she started. Nice and easy…

"Good afternoon ma'am." He dipped his head in greeting. She knew immediately that she would be going with the crying option. He didn't seem to be the type to break rules, especially not for the wrong causes. But maybe she could get the money through sympathy. She was thankful that he hadn't raked his eyes up and down her body like some of the much older men in the bank had. "What can I do for you?"

She sniffled. "Um, you see, well… my-my former lover. He… he was in the army." She sniffled again, feeling the tears starting to well behind her eyes. She could feel the stress from the entire time travelling ordeal start to spill as she weaved this somewhat elaborate and hopefully convincing lie. "A couple months ago, he sent me this letter." She produced the paper from her pocket and tossed it onto counter between them. The man was wide-eyed already. This may be easier than she had originally thought… "He said… he said that if- if didn't make it back," she sobbed, "that I shou-should take his money and donate it to the orphanage he grew up in. I know I'm not him and I don't have any pieces of identification on me, but this letter is all I have! Please, you have-" she hiccupped, "you have to help me! He- he died just over a week ago." Not technically a lie. "Please, this is the letter that tells me to do it. I-I want his last wish to be fulfilled. Do you think you could do that for me? Please?"

The tears cascaded down her cheeks like rapids as she let her emotions from her current situation overwhelm her. She was full-out sobbing now, but she was doing it quietly. She didn't want to cause a scene.

She buried her face in her hands and cried. She cried for her boyfriend who must be incredibly confused as to how to fell. She cried for her family back home that she missed. She cried for the Marketing department and how it would run without her. She cried for all the lives of people she could be changing. She cried for the history that could be lost because of her. She cried for herself, and this crazy situation she had gotten herself into.

She felt the man's hand gently grasp her shoulder and she looked up with red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He was staring at her with sympathy and she felt bad for manipulating him – but this was survival. It was either this or breaking the law. She forced down her guilt with a gulp and tried to give him what she hoped was her best puppy dog eyes.

He glanced around to see if anyone else was watching before darting back to the woman in front of him, balling her eyes out. He regarded the letter with interest and picked it up.

"Careful," she whispered, as if it were very precious to her, when really it was a piece of scrap they had found written with a pen Tania had borrowed and a message Steve had written to sound sincere and like himself with the request she had relayed to the teller.

The man read it quickly before looked up at her (down technically, he was a good few inches taller than her) before leaning over the counter to whisper to her. "I'm sorry ma'am, but that's against protocol. I truly do feel for you." He looked sad as he handed her back the letter. She reached out and took it, quivering her bottom lip.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you can do?" she asked, making her voice high-pitched and squeaky, although it didn't take much effort with her crying having already pretty much ruined her throat for the time being. "There must be something! Anything! Please! I'm begging you!" she grabbed his hand in both of hers and interlaced her fingers together. "Please! It's what he wanted more than anything. He and his best friend grew up there together. He was an orphan! Please!"

He stared at their clasped hands for several moments before covering hers with his leftover one and looking her straight in the eye. "I'll do what I can." With that said, he pressed his lips to the back of her hands for a split-second before parting.

Tania let out the breath she had been holding and smiled behind her tears. Her plan was working! She couldn't let herself think of too many happy thoughts though; she couldn't risk losing her sad face before the unnamed teller returned.

It was a few minutes later when he came back, holding two thick stacks of money just barely palm-sized. He handed them to her but didn't let go when she had them in her grasp. She looked up at him in confusion to see that his face was much closer than before.

"I am trusting you with this money ma'am. Can you be trusted?"

"Of course!" she said without hesitation.

His eyes seemed to be probing her, searching her face for the inevitable lie, before relaxing and letting go of the money. Tania broke into a smile and hugged it to her chest, still playing the part. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" she stood on tip-toe and leaned over the counter to kiss his cheek, bracing herself with one hand on his shoulder. "I owe you one! Thanks again!" she waved and practically skipped out of the bank.

Only once she double-checked all around her to make sure no one was looking and hid behind the car with Steve did she sigh in relief. She brandished the bills but Steve was just staring at her with an expression she couldn't read.

"Steve?"

He reached over and cupped her cheek with one hand. She closed her eyes as his thumb brushed away her tears ever so softly. She felt the corners of her lips pull up slightly as his hand drifted toward the back of her head and entangled his fingers into her hair. He brought their foreheads together before pressing his lips to hers in an urgent but gentle way. Her eyelashes fluttered closed and she relaxed into his embrace.  
It was short but sweet. When he pulled away, he didn't go far, staying just centimeters from her face. "You're… um… he's not… I don't…" he struggled with his words for a few seconds before it clicked.

"You want to say that I'm yours without making you sound possessive and sexist, right?" she asked, somewhat amused. He was still learning how to talk to the ladies despite living with three of them. He nodded, thankful that she had finished his thought for him. She brought her lips tantalizingly close to his ear. "Just say it. I'm yours."

"You're mine," he complied.

A shiver worked its way up her spine as she heard those words. Something deep inside of her shifted and she pulled back only to dive in and capture his lips in another heated kiss. She tightened her grip around the money and threw her arms around his neck. It seemed that their timing hadn't much improved since their first kiss.

His hands wrapped around his waist firmer than usual. It only occurred to her later that Steve had been jealous. When she did realize it, she had smiled brightly because he had loved her enough to be jealous of her affection and her heart felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

She froze when her knee hit the pavement. It didn't hurt, but it was cold it brought her back into the reality of their predicament. She pulled away and sat back, observing how his pupils were dilated slightly. She locked that image away to ponder at a later time and waved the money in front of his face.

"Come on, let's go get changed."

* * *

An hour later, Tania and Steve emerged from a clothing store in disguises fit for the decade.

Steve's wardrobe hadn't really changed all that much, but it was definitely different than his style when he was in their present future (as it would now be called). He wore shiny black loafers, grey trousers, a white-collared long-sleeve shirt, black suspenders, and a grey leather jacket paired with a black and grey hat, a black and yellow striped tie, a pair of glasses with the lenses popped out, and a matching leather briefcase that contained the majority of his money. The rest were in his and her pockets and various hiding places.

Tania wore a high-waisted beige skirt that fell to the middle of her shins with tiny slits up the sides that barely reached her knees and a white collared T-shirt with puffy sleeves as well as a bright red ascot around her neck and a round beige hat that sat atop her head at a precarious angle with a red ribbon wrapped around it to match her scarf. On her feet were stark white flats of some kind with dainty bows on the top and on her face was bright pink lipstick, blush, and darkly lined eyes that somehow made the brown pop.

The two of them walked at a brisk pace towards the first restaurant they came across and sat down across from each other in a booth. Tania looked around in total awe of the place. It was completely surreal to her. She'd only seen places like these in movies and in black and white. In full colour, it was amazing – well, as amazing as it could be when compared to the restaurants of the present future.

There were booths lining the walls to the left and right of the entrance with mahogany coloured cushions and oak tables. Large square windows with wooden blinds dotted those same walls of dark red with black trim. Lamps were attached to the walls between each set of windows and were illuminated in the room.

The floor was wooden as well, but it was striped beautifully with two different types of wood – one was light and the other was dark. It was also polished very well. The room was a large oval shape and across from the entrance at the very other end of the restaurant was a counter, and then behind that was a double door entrance to the kitchen no doubt.

In the middle of the restaurant was one long breakfast bar, with cooks and bakers in the middle of the oval of counters doing their thing. A large antler-inspired (or maybe it was real antlers?) chandelier hung over the bar, swinging lightly whenever the door opened and a breeze wafted in along with the ringing of a bell.

Tania inhaled the smell of food and grinned. Their situation didn't seem so hopeless when they were dressed so well, had so much money, and were eating in such a cool place. A waitress soon approached their table asking if they would like anything to drink.

"Coffee," they both answered at the same time. They stared at each other in shock before bursting out laughing. It was the same thing they'd done when they entered that coffee shop for the first time. It seemed like ages ago… "Black," they said again in unison.

The waitress raised a delicate eyebrow before heading off without another word. Tania couldn't contain her laughter but she tried to keep it quiet. She removed her hat to reveal her hair and a complicated up-do that the shopkeeper of the clothing store had been more than happy to do. Women in this decade had curly hair more often than not, but it wasn't uncommon to see someone with straight hair like Tania. So now her hair was pinned to her head in a stylish fashion for the forties and no matter how much she shook her head, it wouldn't come out. Steve had been rather amused watching her try.

She placed the hat on the seat beside her and crossed her legs under the table. Steve kept his hat on for fear of someone recognizing him. He stood the briefcase against the wall and clasped both hands over the table, leaning forward with his lips pursed.

"Tania," he began. Already she felt a sinking feeling in her gut. "We have to talk about this. It's the only rational thing to do."

She frowned but nodded. "I guess you're right. It's not like we can avoid it. Where should we start?"

At that moment, the waitress came back with two mugs filled to the brim with swirling black coffee. The couple thanked her and ordered their food from the menu before she scurried off. Tania raised the cup to her lips gently, praying she wouldn't burn herself like the first time. Steam rose steadily from her drink and her eyes widened when it landed on her tongue – but it wasn't because she had burned herself.

"This is delicious!" she cried out, catching the attention of a party of three sitting at a nearby booth. They eyed her strangely when they saw that she was only drinking coffee but left her to it and turned around.

Steve chuckled. "Once you've had freshly brewed coffee, you can never go back." He took a sip of his own coffee and watched her over the rim.

She placed her drink on the table in front of her and cupped it with both hands, absorbing its warmth. "So where were we?"

"Right, well," Steve sat up and put down his coffee, "perhaps if we put out heads together, we can think of a solution to this problem."

"And, just so we're one hundred percent clear, the problem is…?"

"That we're stuck in the- here when I'm supposed to be… erm, dead."

She nodded, taking in his words. "I suppose if worse came to worst, we could simply create new names for ourselves and live out the rest of our lives here, though I'm not sure how fond of that idea I am." She wrinkled her nose subconsciously.

He hummed. "That's one option, though I agree with you in that it's not my favourite."

"What is, then?"

He looked down at his coffee and took a stirring stick from the table and watched it swirl, transfixed. Tania waited patiently for his answer. "I… I'm not sure."

"Well, it was an honest reply if nothing."

He chuckled again. "I'm sorry. I'd give you a straight answer if I could but… I don't know what to pick."

Her eyes softened as she gazed at him. She took another sip of her coffee, her eyes never leaving him. "To be truthful, I don't know which I'd pick either. At least, not quite yet."

He looked up at her immediately, surprise written all over his face behind his new glasses. "Really? You mean you would consider… other options?"

"You mean besides returning to twenty-twelve? I… if it meant… yeah. Yeah, I guess I would. Consider it, I mean."

"I see." He continued to swirl his coffee as he pondered this. He appeared to be deep in thought.

Tania reached over to her right hand to twist the ring around her finger, something she did when she was nervous, only to find that it wasn't there. She looked down at her middle finger for confirmation and sighed when she saw that it was bare. Yet another thing that she had had to part with.

The waitress returned and delivered their food before leaving. Where it lacked colour and presentation, it made up for in taste. This was obviously a very expensive restaurant they had accidentally chosen to have such good food so near to the end of the war, the one that ended barely a week ago.

Tania pushed away that thought and swallowed her third bite of food before wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Steve," she called, catching his attention as he put the spoonful of soup into his mouth, "we need a place to stay."

"We could always go to a hotel," he suggested.

"We could… but that would cost a lot of money."

"Not if we got jobs."

She raised both eyebrows and forked another bite of broccoli into her mouth. She knew what he was insinuating. Getting a job would mean something close to permanency. Permanency would mean staying in the forties… until they died. Of course, they would then proceed into the fifties and the sixties, but the meaning remained. Steve was offering her the option of staying.

Staying meant that Steve could be happy… but would he be happy? The question remained because she sure as hell couldn't figure that one out. That was all up to him. If he wanted to stay then he could, but whether or not she would stay with him remained to be seen. Right now it looked like their only option. The time machine hadn't been transported with them, so how were they going to get back? Tania sincerely doubted there would be another time machine in the world, especially before Tony's time. Only a Stark could built something like-

She gasped and covered her mouth as the realization slammed into her with the force of Mjolnir returning to its master's hand. Steve had another spoonful halfway to his mouth when he heard her and froze, mouth open. He looked at his girlfriend with worried blue eyes.

Her own were sparkling with excitement in a way that he hadn't seen since the gala. She was smiling, but he wouldn't say that she was beaming, though it may as well have been. She looked at him happily.

"Steve," she whispered, completely ignoring the whole, 'not if we got jobs' thing. She leaned forward over the table. "We need to find Howard."

**A.N. Okay, so about Tania's idea, I know it's probably horrible but I couldn't think of anything better! And I tried to look up how banks worked back then but I didn't get much luck, so I'm just kind of... winging it, I guess you could say. Also, a teller probably wouldn't be that gullible but for the purposes of this story, let's just say he is and Tania and Steve got lucky xP I meant to include more jealous!Steve but it only came out a little bit... I meant to do that with Darren too but it didn't really work... guess he's not the jealous type... too much. I'm sure Tania can be jealous enough for the both of them. ;D**

**Side note: Also, as for the Graham/Darcy spin-off, it would most-likely be written after I've seen Thor 2, just FYI. I'm also hoping to get back into my Glee fics maybe sometime this summer. Fingers crossed!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N. Hello to you all! Here's chapter 18. Not much happens here, it's pretty much filler, but every story needs filler right? Don't hate me! ;P Also, Howard doesn't come til next chapter, sorry! On another note, did you guys notice the cover i put up for this story? I know it's cut off but I don't have another way of showing you guys, otherwise I would. I don't want to get a devianart account just for this. Maybe I'll figure out a way. Anyway, enjoy! :D**

Chapter 18

"Are you crazy?! You said that we shouldn't interfere with stuff here! That we can't tell anyone we're from the future-!"

"We don't have a choice! Not unless you don't even want to try to get back to our time. Tony's time machine looked old and dusty when I found it. Maybe Tony didn't build it. What if Howard built it? What if it's here? If anything, he can help us figure things out. He's all we've got right now."

Steve looked at his girlfriend really hard. She was serious. She wanted to see Howard Stark: Tony Stark/Ironman's father and one Steve's friends who supposedly died decades before he woke from the ice, the friend he had never said goodbye to before "dying", the friend who hadn't stopped looking for him for years. Oh bloody hell.

"If we were to go and talk to him, how would we find him? Where would he be right about now?"

"Looking for you," Tania answered without hesitation.

Steve's chest rose and fell more noticeably and he grabbed the bowl and basically chugged it before slamming it down on the counter, creating cracks in the ceramic and almost shattering it completely. The crash sounded throughout the entire restaurant and everyone paused to look at them. Steve threw some money from his pocket onto the table before grabbing her hand roughly and yanking her to her feet.

They were out of there faster than the blink of an eye but Steve didn't stop. He just kept speed-walking, which was like running for Tania, but at least she could somewhat keep up if she ran just short of sprinting.

"Steve, if you… if you don't want to come that's understandable, but I'm going. I have to see if I can get back. I need to know if there's even a chance that I can make it back to my family, to our family. I want to see Graham again, I want to see everyone again. This could be our only shot at getting back home." She was running out of breath when he finally stopped just outside a wedding shop. "If that's even home for you."

He didn't answer. He stared at the ground like it could give him the answer to life, the universe, and everything. He fiddled with the handle on his briefcase for several long seconds. After half a minute, he turned around, eyes ablaze.

"I'll go with you. I need to know if there's a chance that you… that we… that going back to that time is a possibility. Otherwise I'll always ask myself, 'what if?' But Tania… how are we going to contact him?"

"Do you have his number?"

"No."

"Damn. Okay, well… if he's looking for you, then we need to get as close to where you crashed as possible. He can't spend twenty-four/seven on the water, he's got to have a base in New York somewhere. Let's start there."

"But how do we get there?"

Tania smirked. "Do you like trains, Captain?"

* * *

A few hours later, about 4 o'clock, found the two of them sitting on a train headed for New York. They had already spent a substantial amount of the money they had and didn't know what they were going to do when they arrived at the station that was still hours away.

It was relatively silent on the car, excepting the loud whirring of the wheels on the railroad and the other sound effects that came with such form of transportation.

Steve and Tania sat side by side, not touching, not speaking, not looking at each other. He read the newspaper with his legs crossed, she gripped the pole with one hand and kept the other closed in a tight fist in her lap.

There were about seven other people in the car as well, each fiddling about as only humans do. The scenery that passed went unnoticed by most of the passengers, but Tania couldn't stop gazing out the window across train. She was transfixed.

Looking out windows in vehicles almost always lead to daydreaming for her – that, or deep thought. That was something she wanted to avoid. But it was apparently inevitable.

She could be stuck her, seventy years in the past, before everyone she knew was born (except Steve). What would happen if she stayed? People she knew would start to… well, exist… which meant that she would be born in a few decades or so, and then there would be two Tania Banks walking around – one who was old and one who was a newborn. Was that even possible? Would she disappear if the other her was born?

Would she ever see her family and friends again? She knew it was insane but she kept thinking about Peter Parker. What would become of him? The other Avengers had been way of him and without her as the mediator, Peter may lose his job. As a vigilante on bad terms with the police, Spiderman should go to SHIELD. But she'd never get to tell him that if she was stuck here.

What about Graham? How would he react? What would his life be like if she suddenly just… disappeared? She couldn't imagine it… she didn't want to imagine it. What about Tony? The man who infuriated her and loved her like a family member. Or Bruce, who was still getting over Betty and only came fully out of his shell when she was there to prompt him? What about Natasha, who was finally opening up to her completely? Or Clint, who she thought of as a second brother? She wanted to become closer to Thor and bond more with him too. She wanted to get to know Jane and integrate her into the girls group they had going on with Natasha and Pepper. Oh Pepper. Tania might never get to see her best friend again, the one who was there for everything and anything she ever needed.

The tears came without her notice and she sobbed once, immediately slapping her hand onto her mouth to cover it. But it was too late. Everyone was looking at her, trying to pry into her thoughts and figure out the reason she had disturbed the silence. Even Steve was looking at her with a weird look.

She bolted. She ran for the little bathroom in the corner and slammed the door shot, locking it before sliding down to the floor and letting herself cry. She didn't care if everyone could hear her, which they no doubt could. She couldn't stop and it wasn't like she could go anywhere. They were just going to have to deal, because she had emotional baggage and she needed to let it out – they just so happened to be within hearing distance. She sobbed again, hating the feeling of salty tears running down her face and the way her face cramped into an ugly crying expression with blood-shot eyes and a red face.

A knock on the door vibrated throughout her back. "Tania?" came Steve's tentative voice. The door jiggled. "Tania come out please."

"I need to be alone," she said back, not caring if he heard or not.

"No, we need to be together. Let me in."

"… why should I?"

"Because I love you and I hate to see you cry. I want to make it better. Please?"

"You can't make it better."

"I can sure as he- I can try my best."

Thirty seconds passed and Tania could hear nothing but her ragged breathing. Finally, she reached up and clicked the lock before scooting over in the tiny cubicle of a bathroom enough for Steve to fit inside.

He stepped into the room with one hand on the door. He looked around, confused, before lowering his gaze and visibly softening. He closed the door behind him and locked it again before sitting on the toilet as there was no more floor space.

"Tania… tell me what's bothering you."

"Everything! Everything is bothering me!" she flailed her arms to show it. "There are so many questions, so many worries, so many variables… it's all so confusing and frustrating and I don't know what to do! I'm trying to salvage the situation but I feel like we have two different goals and I don't know if you'll want to come back with me because I want to go back but I don't want to leave you because I love you and I hate the thought of leaving you but I don't hate the thought of staying but I-I-I-" she started sobbing so hard that she couldn't speak properly.

Steve reached down and lifted her off the floor and onto his lap, where he tucked her head into the crook of his neck and cradled her delicately. He let her cry as they sat in the cramped little bathroom and tried to convey his love to her through his hold on her. It wasn't long before she got it together. She was like Pepper in that sense, disliking the lack of control – especially over their own emotions.

She wiped her tears roughly with the back of her hand, but Steve caught her wrist and stopped her. He gently rubbed them away with his thumb like he did that morning and kissed her nose.

"Tania… whatever happens, I love you. I love you a lot."

She chuckled. "I would hope so."

He cracked a small smile. "I know how you feel. I don't know what I'm going to choose either, but I know for sure that I love you. This dilemma is very… unique. But we'll get through it together."

"What if this 'dilemma' tears us apart? I don't want to leave you." She pressed a hand to his heart and looking up him, tears sparkling in her eyes yet again – but none fell.

"I don't want to leave you either. Let's just keep it at that. We'll make the choices we have to make when we come to them. For now, let's just bask in the fact that we're together, and in love. We're going to see Howard. We'll see what happens from there, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I haven't been this much of a wreck since… well since my last break-up. Except I think this was worse."

"Well if it's any consolation, I'm glad I got to see this side of you. I want to know every part of you, learn everything I can about you. And I still think you look beautiful right now."

She laughed. "Ha! Yeah right. You're just saying that."

"How'd you know?"

She slapped his chest half-heartedly. "Shut up."

He grinned. "You'll just have to persuade me."

She raised an eyebrow. He was getting better at flirting; she had to give him that. Of course, they'd had plenty of practice. She smiled a little and leaned in to kiss him. It remained chaste, but when Tania tried to shift to a more comfortable position, she managed to kick the wall and grunt, almost falling off his lap which broke the kiss. He caught her, but he had leaned forward to do so and now rested his forehead against the door while she lay in his arms below him in what looked like a really uncomfortable position. His own stance was pretty bad.

He stood up and set her down on her feet. The train came to a stop and Steve was thrown forward just the slightest bit – but it was enough to press Tania against the wall in the tiny room that was really just a toilet in a closet.

Their position mimicked the one they had been in when they had their first kiss. They stood there for a while, just breathing each other in.

Steve had never seen Tania so distraught or… not put together. It was a little disconcerting.

Tania didn't know what Steve was thinking or feeling. But this had to be hard for him – even harder than for her.

Without a second thought, both of them wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace. They hugged one another as if the world would end in a few short seconds. With that one act of emotion and sharing and compassion, Tania and Steve knew for a fact that they weren't alone.

* * *

Another several hours later, long past dinner time, Stania checked into a hotel for the night, resolving to look for Howard tomorrow. They technically had all the time in the world if there was a time machine they could use – it would take them to the exact moment they left twenty-twelve and no time will have technically passed.

Tania felt that it was weird to check into a hotel without a suitcase and without luggage or anything of the sort. It was also suspicious to the manager behind the front desk who had checked them in.

Despite this, Steve and Tania changed into the clothes they'd time travelled in (their pyjamas) and lay down in the large double bed in their room. It was dark and Tania closed the curtains before heading to the bathroom. The toiletries were limited so she made do with what she had. She washed off all the makeup and brushed her teeth with her finger (not her finest moment…) and let her down. It was the best she could do given the situation.

She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She did that a lot lately. She hadn't been gone long but she missed the Tower and all it's privileges, not to mention technology, the people, their way of life; HER way of life. It was such a stark contrast to the one she was living right now – the one she felt didn't belong to her, like she should be playing a role or going into the Witness Protection Program.

She observed her long hair that fell around her shoulders and her sad brown eyes framed with dark lashes. She could see the dark circles under her eyes – but just barely. Sleep didn't come easily anymore. She ran her fingers through her hair, not giving a damn about tangles anymore. With a final glance at her reflection, she switched places with Steve so that he could take his turn.

She lay down on the bed, alone, and buried herself under the thin white sheet in the darkness. Her eyes slowly adjusted themselves to her surroundings as she lay awake. Her eyelids felt heavy so she closed them, but she knew that she wouldn't be getting any actual sleep. Her brain was too active to sleep. It wasn't like she could just turn it off.

Time slowly passed and Steve came out of the bathroom, rubbing just jaw. Tania pretended to be asleep and elongated her breaths. She listened intently. For some long moments, she heard nothing but her own breathing, as if he were hesitating. Then she registered his heavy but soft footsteps crossing the room to the bed. He walked around it and to the other side, as she was currently occupying the one closest to the bathroom. She felt the mattress sink beneath his weight and the blanket shift as he pulled it up and over him. It was silent for a few seconds. It was interrupted however, when he turned around and snaked his arm around her waist, bringing her in close and kissed the top of her head.

Pressed against his chest, Tania felt protected, safe, and loved. It was the best feeling in the world. She couldn't stop the corners of her lips from turning upward as her boyfriend warded off the nightmares she feared. Sleep came to both much easier than expected.

**A/N. Oh I almost forgot! OVER 100 FREAKING REVIEWS! You guys are the best! I luv you all! Merci beaucoup! :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N. Hello to all! So sorry about the delay, I was away for a few days and didn't have internet or my laptop :( But I'm back! I am touched by each and every one of my reviewers and readers and at how nice and awesome you guys are! You guys rock! :D So someone posted a review, asking if what happens in the trailers is going to happen in the story, and the answer is: That's the plan! However, nothing is concrete and things may change, example the Steve sitting in a coffee shop scene in the trailer never actually happened, but I'm pretty sure she did ask him the same question in the narration. It's kind of like real life because the movie is never exactly like the book anyway :P One last thing, I promised you guys Howard this chapter, and he's here, but for about one sentence. I'm sorry! D: I SWEAR next chapter he'll soak up all the attention xD That's all! Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 19

The next morning, Tania and Steve woke up, bathed, clothed, and checked out of the hotel within a couple hours. They grabbed a quick breakfast at a nearby restaurant before getting a map.

At approximately eight thirty in the morning, they stood together on the sidewalk staring at a map of New York. It was a fairly cloudy day as well a windy. The aura around them seemed pretty dreary and also appeared to affect the moods and emotions of everyone exposed to it.

Tania stared at the piece of paper that Steve had unfolded about a dozen times with absolute certainty that she was one hundred percent confused. Not only was it a map of the entire state, but it was made decades before her time, therefore the style was different. She had never had a taste for geography back in high school. If she remembered correctly it was her worst class… that didn't mean that she didn't manage to pull a nice seventy percentage though.

Steve seemed comfortable with this map. Being an army captain must have meant lots of strategizing with visual aid: aka maps. His eyes roamed the large pamphlet for a few moments before he started folding it back up again.

"Do we have a lead?" Tania asked excitedly.

"Sort of. If Howard searches the ocean frequently for… if he searches as often as you theorize, then that means he must have a base near the coast. I think our best bet would be to get to the border just past Manhattan Island."

"And… where are we now?" She was almost too afraid to ask.

He finished folding and stuffed the map in his jacket pocket. "Manhattan," he answered. He grabbed his suitcase from the ground and started walking.

Tania scurried after him. "So does this mean we have to take another train?"

"Unless you want to buy a car, yes."

She sighed. It was going to be yet another long day.

* * *

When they arrived, Steve lead the way. He'd glanced at the map once before tossing it in the trash as they passed by.

"Hey!" Tania gasped, grabbing his arm. "What did you do that for?"

"I don't need it," he replied simply.

"Why not?"

He stopped walking and looked her dead in the eye. "This is Brooklyn."

Time seemed to stop as he said those three words. This was Steve's home town. This was where he grew up. Not only that, but people might recognize him here. Even so, this must have been so hard for him… to come back to the one place he thought he'd lost forever only to look for someone who could potentially rip him away from it all over again – if he decided to go. How confusing.

Her face softened but her grip on his arm tightened. "I'm here," was all she said. He smiled and adjusted their positions so that they were properly walking arm in arm down the street. After a while, Tania felt she needed to know a bit more information. "Steve… where exactly are we going?"

"A military base near the beach. At least… I'm hoping it's a military base."

"I'm not following."

"You'll see. But when we get there, act like you own the place."

"Um… okay." She wasn't any less confused, but she had grown more confident in her acting skills since the whole time travel fiasco started, so she wasn't too worried. She did prepare herself the entire walk there, though.

They eventually came to a beach (and Tania swore she had never done so much walking in her life). It was rather barren, seeing as the weather didn't fully agree with going to the beach. Tania and Steve both had to constantly clutch at their hats so that they didn't blow away in the wind and her scarf kept whipping up to meet her face.

Steve pulled her into a little run-down shack with a bell over the door that rang as they entered. Tania sighed in relief, glad to be free of the cold and the breeze. She looked around. It looked like a man-made cabin you'd see at overnight summer camps, but filled head to toe with shelves upon shelves of random knick-knacks.

Not two seconds after their arrival did an old man with a cane come hobbling from the back door (from the outside, the place didn't look like it could even fit a back door). He glared at them.

"What are you two kids doin' in here? It's a horrible day to go to the beach."

Tania bit back her tongue at being called a kid. To the man it would probably seem that way.

Steve cleared his throat. "Ahem, good afternoon Sir, my… wife and I were just going for a walk when we decided to take shelter in your lovely… um, store. We just… forgot our UMBRELLA is all."

The old man narrowed his beady black eyes at the two of them, as if judging their worthiness. Remembering what Steve had said, Tania straightened her back even more (if that was even possible) and tried to look like she had Tony's sense of "wherever I go, you follow because I'm awesome". She could see Steve start to fidget with his glasses nervously. What was going on?

Finally, the old man nodded exited through the back door, gesturing for the couple to follow him. They did so, and entered an elevator. Tania had to hold in her shock. What was an elevator doing in a little shack like this?

Steve only seemed to get more nervous, though he didn't act surprised. The old man pressed the one button on the panel (down) and the three of them stood in silence as they waited for the elevator to descend. It was a long while before the doors opened once again, and when they did, Tania couldn't stop her eyes from widening.

It was a secret laboratory underground. There was a balcony right in from of them with metal stairs on either side that overlooked a room filled with doctors and scientists milling about in lab coats. There were doors in every direction and there was so much activity that she could hardly take it all in before she felt Steve's strong hand on the small of her back leading her to the staircase on the right.

When they reached the bottom, she realized that the old man had disappeared. She turned back just in time to see the elevator doors close. She looked forward once again only to bump into a scientist carrying a clip board.

"Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed and kept walking, if faster than usual. She was red from head to toe in embarrassment. She stayed by Steve's side like a clingy puppy for the next little while after that – not that he minded. In fact, he preferred it that way. At least he could keep an eye on her; the closer she was, the better the chance he had of protecting her.

Neither of them knew where they were going, they were just wandering around aimlessly. At least, that's what it felt like for Tania anyway. When they were in a relatively people-free zone, she tugged on his arm and whispered in his ear.

"Again, where are we going?"

"I have no idea."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Then why are we here?!"

"If Howard was out searching today, he'd have to come back here to return the vehicle." His eyebrows furrowed together. "At least I assume it's here."

"What do you mean you assume?" she hissed.

"This lab acts just like the one in New York City where I was injected with the super serum. It was even hidden under the same franchised store. I gave the password and they let me in, no questions asked. This is our best bet."

"Have you been here before?"

He shook his head. "No, I haven't. But I had a strong hunch."

She hummed. "Alright. So how do you suggest we go about this? Do you think it would be possible to ask around?"

He pursed his lips together. "I don't know…"

"Well we can't walk around aimlessly! Not only is it suspicious, but this place is huge! We'll never find Howard that way."

"I suppose you're right, but just in case, you'd better ask."

"Sure."

The first person she spotted was a man who looked to be about thirty years old in a white lab coat scribbling furiously at his clipboard while observing something on the counter that Tania didn't care about. With Steve in tow, she marched over to him, building up all the courage she had.

"Excuse me," she tapped his shoulder and he turned, "I'm looking for Howard Stark. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Where have you been, living under a rock?" He didn't give her enough time to be insulted before he continued. "Mr. Stark is on his daily search. He doesn't come back until late; and when he does, he's almost always locked up in his lab." He gestured vaguely in the direction of a hallway with his pencil before turning back to his work. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." He began scribbling again in his own little world.

Tania huffed. "Thank you for your help," she said, though he didn't seem to hear her. She turned down the hallway the scientist had gestured towards and noticed the room numbers above each door she passed. There were a total of six doors (three on each side) before the corridor reached a dead end. "One of these has to be Howard's office."

"Question is, which one?"

"This one," she said, pointing to the middle door on the right.

"How do you know?" he asked, approaching it cautiously.

"If he's anything like Tony, then the fact that the door knob is the shape of your shield and the others aren't states that he likes to be different and stand out. Although Howard's flare seems to be a bit more toned down."

He nodded. He knocked on the door three times. No answer. He knocked again. Same result. He slowly twisted the doorknob and opened the door. No one. The two of them looked left and right before sliding into his office/lab to wait.

It was like deja-vu. It was almost an exact replica of Tony's lab at his mansion, but there were a few differences. There were no Iron Man suits or suit parts, the colour scheme was lighter, and the floor to ceiling glass wall didn't lead to a staircase, it lead to a large white room with a pedestal in the middle. However, the pedestal displayed what looked like a piece of junk only about three feet tall.

Despite those three things, there were many similarities. The layout, for example, was almost exactly the same. The tools (if less advanced) were also similar. There was even what appeared to be a deactivated and much older version of Dummy standing in a corner.

Steve and Tania sat down and prepared to wait for Howard's return. She made do with an office chair on wheels while he leaned against a fairly empty table. Tania began to spin herself around multiple times and didn't show signs of stopping.

After about an hour, Tania groaned. "So… bored."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Can we at least talk? It's been so silent since we got here that I literally hear ringing. I feel like we don't talk just to talk anymore. We only speak when necessary and it's driving me crazy! Tell me something, anything, that doesn't involve what we're going through or what we're going to be doing."

"Like what?"

"I don't know!" She threw her hands up in the air, still spinning. "Tell me about the month between the alien invasion and when we first met. How did the lot of you end up in Avengers Tower? I can imagine it took some convincing."

Steve smiled at that. "Yeah, yeah it did."

"Go on…"

"After the whole Loki-incident, Bruce had already agreed to go back with Tony and live there – at least for long enough to check out his labs. I returned to the helicarrier with Clint and Natasha while Thor was on Asgard. About a week after sending them home, I got an invite to dinner from Pepper in the mail. It was so thoughtful of her to send a letter instead of an… email, I think it is. There was no way I could say no.

"When I got there, I was surprised to see Clint and Natasha as well. So the six of us had dinner together and at first it was really awkward, but Tony and Pepper were great hosts and always managed to lighten mood.

"We somehow got on the topic of our pasts and went around the table sharing backstories. Pepper must have felt sympathy for us because she offered us all a room to stay in for the night, even if just for one night. She knew how… unlively the SHIELD apartments were.

"Let's just say, after one night, we were convinced that it was a lot better than SHIELD. The three of us were reluctant at first, but eventually decided as a trio that whatever Tony had to offer would be better than what Director Fury had. So we packed up our things and moved in.

"We had originally thought that because the Tower was so big, we'd hardly have to see each other. But we were wrong. We passed by all the time,, exchanging awkward hellos and getting lost all the time. The elevator always had someone in it all times and despite the number of kitchens, we all gravitated towards the same one. Maybe it was because it was lonely, living in such a big place all by yourself… in a way. But we ended up having breakfast together every morning and it just kind of… became tradition.

"We started talking more and more and by the time I'd met you we'd become fast friends. I was happier. Happier than I was at SHIELD, in any case. But then you came along and I was basically an all-around happy person day in and day out."

"Wow," Tania commented, "So it just kind of… happened."

"Yeah, basically."

"What about Thor?"

"He dropped in from time to time, saying that something called the bi-frost was repaired to a certain extent. I don't know what that extent is… but he comes and goes as he pleases, though I think he spends the majority of his time with Jane."

"Hm, interesting."

They spent the rest of the afternoon and a large part of the evening talking about nothing and everything that didn't concern their immediate problems. It was nice.

But then the door opened and none other than Howard Stark walked in.

**A/N. Sorry it's so short and that Howard is barely in here, but I like having at least tiny cliff-hangers for my stories. Forgive me! XD**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N. Good evening everyone! :D Here's the Howard-filled 20th chapter as promised. It's about the same length as the others though, I must be in some sort of rut... oh well. They're decent enough length, right guys? I try to keep my chapters between 2000 - 5000 words... did I mention that before? I feel like I did... Oh well, enjoy! :D**

**And just for good measure, I only own Tania, Graham, Drew, other OCs, the book cover, and anything you don't recognize that doesn't belong to someone else. You may proceed :)**

Chapter 20

Steve stopped breathing. This one person had reeled him in and proved once and for all that they truly were in nineteen forty-two. It didn't seem real until that point – but now he knew. Howard Stark was alive and staring at Tania with an eyebrow raised. Steve frowned. He knew that Howard would eventually marry Maria, but he didn't like the way he was looking at his girlfriend. He did nothing, however, still too shocked at seeing Howard freaking Stark.

Tania's eyes widened. Howard was like a younger version of Tony (if that made sense) with a few differences. It reminded her so much of him that she felt like she'd been slapped. A sudden feeling of longing overwhelmed her. She wanted Tony and the others with her so badly at that moment.

When Howard strolled into his office, on hand in his pocket, the other twirling his keys, and whistling, he didn't expect anyone to be waiting for him – let alone a beautiful woman and her… husband? Ignoring the man leaning against his desk, he ran his fingers through his hair and walked over to Tania, shooting her a lopsided grin.

"Evening, ma'am. How may I be of assistance?" he asked, leaning one arm against the back of the chair.

She stuttered nervously. He loved having that effect on women. "Uh… um… I…" she bit her lip and looked over at Steve as if asking for help.

He walked over to them and laid a hand on Howard's shoulder. He turned around with a smirk on his face just as the Captain removed his glasses. Howard gasped and stepped back, leaning too much on the chair on wheels and fell backwards while at the same time shoving Tania towards the desk. She managed to catch herself before any damage could be done – he was not so lucky.

He had fallen on his butt but his eyes never blinked or strayed from the man in front of him. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he rubbed his eyes with vigor before opening them again, blinking away the blurriness. Steve was still there, looking solemn. He removed his hat and placed it on Howard's desk next to his glasses.

Howard was breathing hard. "How… what… when… what?"

Steve stepped forward and held out a hand to his comrade. Mr. Stark stared at it for a long time before harshly grasping it. Definitely there. Neither of them were dreaming. Steve easily pulled the man to his feet and the two simply stared for another thirty seconds. It was a lot to take in.

Howard opened and closed his mouth several times before eventually saying something coherent. "How are you here?" Even his voice made him sad because he hadn't heard that voice in what seemed like months but what was really seventy-some years. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it or anyone else's until that moment.

"It's a long story," he answered curtly.

"Tell me."

"I need to be able to trust you completely."

Howard laughed once, twitching the left side of his mouth upward. "When have I ever been proven untrustworthy?"

Steve smiled lightly. "Never."

Tony's dad winked. "Exactly." He looked over at Tania who had been frozen the entire time, watching with worried eyes. "Who's she?"

Steve followed his gaze and his face softened. "My girlfriend."

Howard's eyes might as well have popped out of his head. "GIRLFRIEND?"

"Again, long story. Why don't you sit down." He placed both hands on his friend's shoulders and plopped him down in the office chair next to Tania's.

She stuck out her hand nervously. "Hi, I'm Tania Banks of Sta- I mean, just Tania." She had been about to say, "of Stark Industries", however she didn't know how he would react to that without knowing the full story.

"Howard Stark." He shook her hand with a nod of his head. "Just Howard." He winked at her and she blushed.

Steve's frown deepened.

* * *

"Wow, that's… quite a story." Howard reached into his breast pocket and removed an off-white handkerchief that he used to wipe the sweat from his forehead before replacing it. He leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees and pressed his fingers to his lips. Tania and Steve let him think about all they had told him in silence, exchanging wary looks. "So, let me get this straight…" he waved his hands in the air as he spoke, "you two are from the future."

"Yes," Tania replied as the two of them nodded.

"Okay, so you-" he pointed to Steve, "have been trapped in the ice for seventy years and woke up in two-thousand and twelve, where you met my future son and a bunch of other super heroes as well as this lady here until you came upon a time machine in my future son's house and ended up back here. Am I right so far?"

"Absolutely," she confirmed again.

"What did you say my son's name was again?"

"Tony. Er, actually it's Anthony Edward Stark, but everyone calls him Tony."

"I see." He turned to Steve. "And what about Agent Carter?"

Tania and Steve both tensed. She lowered her gaze whereas he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, I've… moved on. I love Tania and… I…"

"You… what?" Tania whispered, unable to look at him.

Before he could answer, Howard cut in. "Okay... and… why have you come to me specifically?"'

Both time travelers looked back at him. "Because," Steve started, "if there's a chance that you built that time machine… then that means that there's a chance that we can return to the pre- I mean, to twenty-twelve."

"So you… want to go back?"

"Umm… maybe?"

"Okay this is the part where I'm confused. Do you want to go back or don't you?" No answer. "Considering you came to me, I'm thinking you do."

"I'm just weighing my options!" Steve blurted, frustrated at being put on the spot.

"Me too," Tania admitted quietly.

Howard did a double take. "Wait, you're considering staying?" She nodded. "But… this isn't where you belong. Steve belongs here, you don't." After a long silence something finally clicked. "You aren't staying because you want to. You're staying because of him."

"I never said I was staying," she barked at him.

He raised his hands in a gesture of peace with an amused look on his face. "Alright, alright, no need to get rough. However, if you wanted to get rough with me I wouldn't mind one bit."

"Stark!" Steve hissed.

Howard laughed and tipped his chair back with one hand on the desk. It was a habit that Tony displayed frequently. "Relax, Captain. I'm trustworthy, remember? I'm not going to fondue with any more of your girls." He grinned nice and wide at the inside joke.

Steve chuckled and rolled his eyes. "How was I supposed to know?"

"I don't know, you just… do." He shrugged.

"You seem to be taking this really well…" Tania observed.

"Well yeah, I mean… it's hard not to believe you. Not only is it impossible for Steve to get out of that ice by himself, but he looks older – about three months to be exact – not to mention the fact that you don't get a new girlfriend in the ice. Oh, and it's also my time machine."

"What?!" Tania and Steve chorused.

"Uh huh."

"So you can send us back?" Tania asked, a light sparkling in her eyes as a new hope entered her being.

"Eh… see, here's the thing." He set his chair back on the ground with a "clack". "It is my time machine, I just haven't built it yet."

Steve looked confused. "Pardon me?"

Howard twisted in his chair and pointed at the contraption in the glass room. "That's my time machine. It's nowhere near finished and I only just started working on it a couple weeks ago – before you disappeared. I kind of abandoned it when I started looking for you. I guess I was – or, will be – unsuccessful in my search." He looked disappointed, staring down at the ground between his feet. "Anyway, I pretty much abandoned it. I didn't think I'd ever finish it. I guess I do; unless… Tony, was it? Right, unless Tony took it up where I left off and got it to work."

"Unlikely," Tania said, "if Tony created something this ground breaking, the whole world would know about it. And it would probably be a lot more high tech."

"So I guess that means that I finish it… thing is, if I finish it for you guys now, it's going to take me a really long time. And I can't just stop searching for Steve, people will start to get suspicious and I'm assuming you don't want anyone else to know about this, am I correct?"

"Yes you are."

"Good. I always am."

"So what's the game plan?" Tania asked.

Howard looked to Steve, the hypothetical playmaker. The Captain rubbed his chine with his index finger and his thumb and appeared to be deep in thought. "Well, why doesn't Howard just continue the search but not be there to personally oversee it. And without Howard, there's no way the crew can find me, which means that there's less of a chance that our timeline will be altered. Howard can then use the time he would have used to look for me on building the time machine. How long do you think it will take?"

"Ooh… that's a tough one." He eyed the contraption that looked like a bunch of scrap metal in a pile. "Four to six weeks, give or take a week or so."

"That sounds… reasonable."

"So I take it you guys want to go back then, or should I say forward? I don't want to have to build a time machine no one's going to use."

"But if you don't build it, then Steve and I will never come back into the past to have you build one and this will have never happened…"

"So no matter what you guys go back?" Howard asked.

"Not necessarily. That's just one theory. If we never come back in time to stop you from building the machine, then you'll go ahead to build it and then we'll come back in time to stop it."

"A perpetual paradox."

"Exactly."

"So… I have to build it no matter what is what you're saying."

"Yes."

"… Darn. But don't you worry your pretty little head, I'll cast an eyeball on the time machine of mine and I'll build it. That gives you guys about a month to decide whether or not you want to go. I mean, technically you have until the end of your lives to decide because you can just go forward to the exact point you left and it will be like nothing ever happened. I don't know about the effects on your bodies though, if you stay here for a few years and then go into the future, you may look older."

"Because just because we're in another time doesn't mean that our lives are any shorter or longer. We ourselves don't change, simply the period that we inhabit."

"Someone's got her boots on today."

Tania tilted her head in confusion.

"It means that you know what you're talking about," Steve explained.

"Ohh… sorry," she apologized to Howard. "I'm not quite used to the slang of your time just yet."

"Does that imply that you'll get used to it?"

"I'm sure if I'm here for a month I'll pick up a few things."

Howard hummed and reached for a cigar in his pocket. He popped it into his mouth and lit it before leaning back in his chair again. He held out a couple to his "guests" in his office. "Care for a smoke?"

Tania wrinkled her nose. "No thank you, that stuff gives you cancer."

Howard spit out the cigar like it was gun powder. "Cancer?!"

"Oops…"

"Don't tell anyone!" Steve ordered. "You'll change medical history drastically if you do."

"But if we could save that many more people from dying of cancer, then isn't that worth not being able to go back to your time? You said so yourselves, you wouldn't mind staying 'ere, right?" Tania and Steve exchanged wary looks. He had a point. "Think about it! You guys have knowledge of stuff that's gonna happen in the future! You could prevent so many mistakes the human race has made!"

"But we are bound to make more mistakes no matter how many we prevent. And if we change the course of history, things may just end up worse. At least this way we know that turn out okay. If we change it… there's a fifty percent chance that it will be for the worst."

"You've got a point there Tania," Howard admitted, stomping on his cigar and putting out the little flame. "Either way, you've got me off smoking."

Tania and Steve exchanged another look. "Good luck," they wished him at the same time.

"Okay that's just creepy…"

Tania laughed a little. "So… what are we going to do in the mean time? We don't have enough money to stay in a hotel for a whole month. Are we gonna have to get jobs?"

"Psh! Don't be ridiculous! You can stay at my place. I've got a house on the beach not too far from here. I'll walk you there." He grabbed his jacket off the coat rack by the door and plopped on his matching hat. He snatched up his umbrella, twirling it before catching it with one hand and holding the door open for Tania and Steve.

As the three of them made their way out of the base, Howard continued to talk. "You know, I'm not too happy with my house in the beach. It's not really my style. It's more… I don't know… oomph! I was thinkin' about getting a beach house in California. Maybe rebuild some old rundown place and make it my own? Whaddya think? Sounds nice, eh?"

Tania couldn't stop the smile creeping up on her face. "It's going to be fantastic, Howard."

The man himself threw an arm around Tania as they entered the elevator. "Don't say that, say, 'It's going to be dillinger*, Howard.' Think you can do that?"

"It's going to be dillinger, Howard." Her smile widened.

"Now you're talkin'!"

Tania's laughter was cut off by the sound of the elevator doors closing.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N. Hey guys! It's only a day after, yet it's late in the day (one hour before tomorrow xP). So this one is somewhat longer (hope that means I'm out of my slump...) but it's kind of filler. But I kind of want Tania and Steve to LIVE in the forties, get used to it, learn to live in it so that it's THAT much harder to choose. Don't worry, Peggy comes soon. She'll be here probably next chapter. Enjoy :D**

Chapter 21

The next day, Howard was off to work bright and early. Without the use of an alarm clock, Tania slept in until noon. She had been so riddled with dreams that consumed her mind that she didn't get up until well after one.

When they'd arrived at Howard's beach house, he had offered them the choice of two separate rooms or sharing one. The two of them blushed profusely and meekly accepted the offer of NOT sleeping together. They didn't want their host to think that they were at that stage of their relationship yet… not to mention it was distasteful in their current era. So they opted to take two bedrooms right across from each other.

However, without Steve to chase away the nightmares or his protective embrace to make her feel safe, she took forever to fall asleep AND when she did, she saw the future. She wouldn't consider them nightmares, as they weren't scary, however when she woke up, she found she had slept in a puddle of her own tears.

_Tony sat on the couch, head in his hands, leaning forward. Pepper stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders. Mascara ran down her face. Bruce was curled up in a ball, between the ottoman and the loveseat across from Tony, his fists pressed into his eyes. Clint sat on one side of the loveseat, frozen and staring into space. Natasha sat beside him, head thrown back on the chair and squeezed her eyes together really really hard. Thor stood next to the couch with his arms crossed and his head down, looking solemn._

_No one said a word. It was silent. Because it was a dream, Tania didn't need to see it or be there to know that even JARVIS was in a similar mood to the others. There was only one thing that could have made them that… sad. They knew she was gone. They knew Steve was gone. They knew where they'd gone. And Tony felt responsible._

_Not only was it his idea to come to Malibu, but it was technically his time machine. It was in his possession and he hadn't been careful enough with it, never believing that it worked._

_There was a time skip, and suddenly there was Tony, working in the lab nonstop. It was like a montage you'd see in a movie – none of the cut scenes revealed anything but Tony working mercilessly as he aged. Pepper came down occasionally, but he refused to come up. There was a wedge between them. It was resolved about a year after "the disappearance", but nothing was the same._

_Thor had returned to Asgard, the feeling of failure and unreliableness when he was needed was heavy upon his shoulders. He only came to Earth to see Jane, and sometimes save the world. Being in the Tower hurt too much._

_Bruce ran off again. He was travelling the world being a doctor and saving people. He hulked out more often than usual, but he didn't kill anyone – at least, that he knew of. He came back to the Tower for holidays, but other than, not even SHIELD could track him._

_Clint and Natasha died on a tag team mission a few years later trying to track down someone to replace their fallen leader – a mission they'd absolutely refused to go on… until Fury threatened to use the big guns: choosing his own new leader for them. The assassins had grudgingly left, planning on taking their time. But things went haywire when they were tracked by an old enemy of Clint's from the circus. They seemingly fell off the Earth and after six months, were presumed dead. They were never seen again._

_Graham was depressed. He never smiled. He broke up with his girlfriend. He never went out. He dropped out of school. He got a minimum wage job. He just… stopped. He died at age seventy-two, next to his sister's empty coffin._

Tania sobbed. The dreams had torn her heart to shreds and she clutched at it, willing the pain to stop. She knew that they weren't actually visions of the future and there was a very large chance that none of those things would actually happen. But that didn't make it hurt any less. She wanted to go back. That much was clear now. She didn't want to stay. She wanted to go back. The question was whether or not she would. Could she withstand this pain to be with the one she loved should he decide to stay? She had no idea.

Bruce's questions suddenly came rearing back. It felt like so long ago… when really it hadn't happened yet. Oh how her head hurt… If you had to choose between your happiness and his… which would you choose? She remembered saying something about it depending on the context… Well now she had one. Whatever she chose would dominate the rest of her life.

In true Tania fashion, she decided to make a list of Pros vs. Cons. She wiped away her tears and sat up, ignoring the fact that JARVIS wasn't there to greet her with the usual weather and Michael Bublé music. She reached over to her bedside table and grabbed the pad of paper and the pencil.

Gosh, even the friggin' PAPER was different! Grasping the writing utensil tighter than she probably should, Tania shakily began to scribble out her list.

_Pros and Cons of Staying in the 40s w Steve_

_Pro: Stay with Steve_  
_I kind of semi like it here…_

_Con: Lose family/friends_  
_Lose Job_  
_Lose life_  
_Family/friends' lives are affected_  
_Could change course of history_  
_Might lose Steve to Peggy if we ever accidentally run into her, or if Howard spills the beans_  
_Not used to slang_  
_Probably have to change name/identity_  
_Steve would have to change name/identity too_  
_If stay close to Howard, will watch Tony grow up…_

There was a tear stain next to that sentence.

_Pros and Cons of going back without Steve_

_Pro: See friends/family_  
_Keep Job_  
_Keep life_

_Con: No Steve_  
_History might be changed anyway_  
_Might run into Steve as old man (depending on how the serum works… with have to think about that later)_  
_Might have to move on from Steve (aka get new boyfrie_

She couldn't bring herself to finish the word as the pencil in her hand snapped in two and clattered to the ground. Who was she kidding? No man could ever measure up to Steve. He was too perfect. He had ruined her for everyone else on the planet. Not that she would ever fall for Thor (or God forbid, Loki) or probably any other Asgardian. No one was like Steve. No one could love her like he did.

But if he loved her so much… wouldn't he want to come with her? Then again, if she loved him so much, wouldn't she want to stay? It was all so complicated. Were there non-written social rules to a relationship that considered this kind of situation? Had a story like this ever been told? Surely there were romance tales with time travel in it. Then again, their situation was specific to them only. No one else had ever been through what they were going through, real or fictional.

"UGHHHHHHH!" She threw the pad at the wall adjacent to the bed in frustration. It slammed against the wall before landing on the floor in a messy pile. She knew now why Steve had spent the majority of his time at the gym after waking up. She wanted to hit something.

She wished she was in the Tower with Natasha and training. She would give anything to be there. Tony and Bruce would be in one of the labs upstairs no doubt. Thor would be off who knows where, probably eating something, somewhere in the building. Steve would be in his art gallery, Clint would probably be in the gym with the girls and Pepper would be working. Even though Tania wouldn't be able to see all of them, she knew that they would be there. That alone was better than where she was right now.

Clenching her fists, she whirled and punched the bed, knowing it was the one thing in the room that wouldn't break or break her. She punched it again. And again. And again.

It was a torrent of emotions that she couldn't control and she hated it. She missed being happy and laughing for more than two seconds. She missed breakfast with the Avengers and phone calls with her brother. She missed cell phones and computers and the internet and her library and her office and she even missed the way people talked! She missed her own clothes and the aura of two thousand and twelve and she missed the currency she was used to, she missed doing her job, she missed computerized artificial intelligences (specifically JARVIS) and she missed that damn helicarrier with Fury and Hill and all those other SHIELD agents. It was all gone. None of it existed.

With another cry, she threw one of her pillows at the bathroom door. It whacked it almost silently before falling uselessly to the carpeted floor.

Breathing hard, Tania sank to the ground and rested her back against the bed.

If she was feeling this way, then how was Steve feeling? His decision was probably even harder than for her. Her only tie to the forties was Steve, whereas Steve had grown up here. He had ties to both times and the one thing stopping him from staying absolutely was probably her.

Before she could continue her depressing thoughts, someone knocked on the door. "Tania?" Steve called.

She took in a hesitant deep breath. "I'm up, I'm up. I'll be out in five minutes." She stood up and threw open Howard's guest room closet. It was filled with female clothes. How considerate.

Fifteen minutes later, she exited the room groomed and ready in forties-style clothing, feeling like she blended in but didn't fit in – if that made sense. She didn't like these clothes. They were nice to play dress up in, but after a couple days she wanted to dress like normal again.

… oh boy, this was turning out to be a truly upsetting day.

Steve stood in the kitchen… cooking. He was cooking because he knew how to use the stove and things like that when in Tania's time, technology was too convenient for him. She looked around and realized that she wouldn't be able to cook squat – mostly because she couldn't cook to start with.

She sat down at the kitchen table. "Good morning."

"Good afternoon."

She rolled her eyes. "I was tired."

"I can see that." He turned around and handed her a bowl of oatmeal. She nodded in thanks and began to eat it. It had no flavour, unlike those packets you could buy at the grocery store in her time. It was just oats and water. How did people eat this every day?

After a little while, Steve joined her at the table with a foot-long sandwich. She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He was a super soldier after all; his metabolism was four times faster than the average humans.

They ate in relative silence, that is, until Tania broke it. "So… what are we going to do today?"

"Well since Howard has so graciously offered to let us stay here until he can fix the time machine as well as pay any fees like food, we don't need to get jobs or anything."

"Right. We don't need to."

"However… if we wanted to…"

"Why would we if we were just going to leave in a few weeks?"

"Are we going to leave?"

It was the first time either of them had addressed it directly. She answered honestly. "I have no friggin' clue."

He sighed. "Maybe we could help Howard? It might make the time go by faster."

"… Is that what you want?" She looked up at him from staring at her abandoned and unfinished oatmeal. She wasn't even that hungry.

He knew the implications of her question. Did he want time to blur by, aka get to the future faster? "I don't know. But what else are we going to do all day?"

She shrugged. "Go out and do things that we wouldn't be able to do in twenty-twelve. Like… I don't know…"

"Swing dancing," Steve answered immediately. "On second thought, let's not."

"Why? That sounds like fun?" More fun than she's had in what seems like forever.

"Have you forgotten who I am? I can't dance."

"Neither can I, but it sounds like fun. In the ten years of dance lessons I've had, there was a brief period on swing dancing. I know the moves and I'm sure you do too, whether or not you can do them is irrelevant."

"Tania, I… I don't think it's a good idea."

After staring at him long and hard, she sighed and gave in. "Fine. What else did you do for fun when you were a teenager?"

"Mm… mostly listened to the radio, went to bars, played sports like baseball, went to sports games, read comics, watch movies, draw, paint, fight in wars."

She smiled slightly. "Well, most of that you can do in twenty-twelve, but I suppose we can do those here too. I'm sure they're different."

"They are."

"So what do you want to do today?"

"Let's watch a movie."

"Alright, what do you want to see?"

"I… don't know what's playing."

"Can't we go check?"

"Of course."

"Then let's go."

They polished off their meals and walked off to the theater while sharing an umbrella under the pouring rain. It was a little ways away, but it was no farther than the coffee shop from the Tower. When they arrived, they look around at all the movie posters on the walls, deciding which one they wanted to see.

There were quite a few movies out that Tania sort-of didn't mind seeing. They eventually decided on seeing The Woman In Green, a Sherlock Holmes movie. Seeing as Steve was the only one of them to have money, he paid and they walked arm in arm into the theater where a projector stood at the top of the stairs and pointed at the wall in front of the few rows of chairs. It was tiny, compared to the ones Tania was used to, the screen too, but she didn't mention it and the two of them sat down to wait. The next showing wasn't for a little while and they were the first ones there.

While waiting, the two of them got to talking, and Steve reminisced on the last time he had been in a theater like this. It was this exact one, actually. He'd been sat near the back and he was still skinny back then. He told her of how when a commercial to enlist and/or buy war bonds was displayed, some brute had been acting out and Steve had tried to put him in his place. Needless to say, without the serum, it failed miserably and he got beaten up in an alley after the movie.

This then led to talking about how Bucky rescued him and then how he saw Howard for the first time at the convention and what not, but when people started filling up the seats, Steve snapped his mouth shut. Tania talked instead, talking to him about something she'd seen in the newspaper the day they'd arrived when she'd checked the date so that any eaves droppers wouldn't think anything suspicious.

She told him about how she noticed that one of the headlines on the newspaper she'd read on one of the train rides they'd taken had said that from the fourteenth to the seventeenth, all baseball games had been postponed because of too much rain. Despite it being the twentieth, (having spent nearly three or four days total on a train) they still discussed it as if it had just happened.

When the movie started, they settled in to watch. It was in black and white and the sound was obviously not that great, but Tania didn't mind. She did enjoy the classics like Casa Blanca and It's A Wonderful Life. Although she had to admit, The Wizard of Oz was THAT much because it was in colour.

The movie was short, only about an hour, and then they left. When they were alone, Tania proceeded to tell him that movies she was used to could be up to three hours long, sometimes longer. He stared at her in disbelief and she started talking about the Lord of the Rings.

Of course, they hadn't even been published yet in nineteen forty-five, so he had never had the chance to read the books. This however, lead to talking the books he had read. He had read the Count of Monte Cristo (published in eighteen forty-four), which then led to them debating between movie vs. book. Except Tania was talking about the two-thousand and two movie, whereas Steve was talking about the nineteen thirty-four movie. However, having read the book as well, Tania was able to relate.

It turned out the two of them had also read the Three Musketeers (also published in eighteen forty-four). Also Tania had seen the two-thousand and eleven version of the movie and Steve had seen the one in nineteen thirty-five. They talked and they talked until at last it was dinner time. They ate chicken and rice (Howard appeared to be rich even during this time) and then decided to read some books aloud to each other.

They found Les Misérables on the bookshelf in the living room and took turns reading aloud. They spent the night that way until they fell asleep cuddled up together on the couch. That's how Howard found them well into the night when he came home. He leaned against the doorframe and smiled sadly.

Peggy was one of his closest friends, especially since Steve's, "death". And now he's moved on barely two weeks later… sort of. He shut off the light and walked away.

**A/N. I couldn't resist putting the other Avengers back in, I love them all too much XD Also! I have written several oneshots about the Avengers on paper that I haven't typed up yet, so look out for those. I have one for each couple and their thoughts on children. They'll be published before the end of the summer so you have that to look for :D until next time!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N. Bonjour! Here's chapter 22 with the much anticipated Peggy! Sorry if this chapter is crummy but it literally took me ALL DAY to spit this out and I don't feel up to rewriting. At least not today. Also, I'm sorry if I misuse the lingo at all, I don't mean to :( With that said, Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 22

The next morning, Tania and Steve woke up in a house sans Howard. They had slept in again. Instead of hanging out like the day before, the two of them headed for the base yet again with the single goal to help Howard build the time machine.

When the bypassed the old man at the shack a second time, a different sight met their eyes. The lab was no different, but there were even more people than before. Everywhere they looked there was someone standing there.

Keeping their heads down and pulling down their hats, they clasped hands and pushed their way through the crowd. It took a little longer than usual, but at last they reached Howard's office. Steve knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Howard's voice.

He pushed open the door and they entered the room. They didn't get farther than two steps before they saw Howard speaking with a woman who had her back to the couple. She turned her head, curious as to who had arrived.

Everything stopped. Steve and Peggy were staring at each other like time had frozen. Peggy blinked and her mouth slowly opened as she turned fully around. "Steve?" she whispered.

Steve lightly removed his hat and glasses. There was no use hiding it if she'd already guessed it. She gasped and gripped the back of the chair she had just been sitting on. She could do nothing but stare. Her eyes never left him and she never noticed the woman standing next to him, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.

One second, staring was the only thing anyone seemed to be doing, the next: Peggy surged forward and threw her arms around Steve with such force that he took a small step back. Hesitantly, he gently put his arms around her and closed his eyes.

Beside him, Tania's heart felt like it was shriveling up and dying. She averted her eyes and closed the door so that no one else could spy on them. She walked over to Howard and stood next to him, watching the scene play while her chest felt constricted. She swallowed nervously.  
Howard sent her a sympathetic glance. She nodded without looking at him, silently telling him she appreciated his concern.

Steve and Peggy then pulled apart and he stepped back and into the door rather clumsily. He cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "Um… Agent Carter, it's… nice to see you again."

"Nice to see me again?" she quoted in her distinct British accent. Tania's spirits fell even faster. How could she compete with a British accent on top of everything else? "Nice to see me again?! You leave me with that phone call thinking you're dead and now all of a sudden you're here in Howard's office with no explanation whatsoever! How did you survive? How did you get here? I demand answers!" she ordered, her tone of voice commanding and authoritative.

"Erm… it's a long story."

"I have time."

"Um, actually you don't," Howard piped up. Peggy turned around to face him. "The Colonel wanted you back in fifteen. It's already been ten."

"Well when he finds out that the Captain is back I'm sure he'll overlook that fact."

"No." Steve grabbed her elbow, startling her. "Peggy, no one can know about this."

"What?"

"No one can know that we're here. It's part of that long story."

"We?"

He motioned for her to turn around. She did. Only then did she see Tania, standing shyly by Mr. Stark. She waved meekly. "Hi. Tania Banks." She buried her thoughts of jealousy and held out her hand to shake. The two women met in the middle and introduced themselves.

"Agent Margaret Peggy Carter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Tania lied. She felt like a bad person for disliking someone so much without even getting to know them, but she couldn't stop the feelings inside of her swirling in her gut and threatening to consume her hole.

Peggy nodded and let go of her hand. "And might I ask why you are here?"

She pursed her lips together. "I'm part of that really long story Steve spoke of."

She nodded. "Well… I suppose a lot can happen in a few weeks."

Tania and Steve shared a secret look that wasn't secret enough to avoid the eyes of Howard and Peggy. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Um, Agent Carter, the Colonel?" Howard pressed.

"Right, well," she smoothed the folds of her crisp white blouse and looked at her friend, "I suppose I shall have to see him to avoid punishment. Steve, are you sure about keeping this a secret?"

He nodded. "I'm sure… for now."

She raised an eyebrow but complied. "Alright then. I'll be right back. And then I want to hear that story of yours."

She marched out of the office, her heels clacking as she did. When the door closed behind her, tension filled the room faster than water could flood it. Tania ached for there to be a ring around her finger to twist in anxiety. She cleared her throat.

"Um, guys, maybe I should… leave you two alone-"

"No!" Steve interrupted, "You can't go! You… you're part of that story and I need your help to tell it."

She nodded. Was that the only reason he wanted her around? "Okay. I'm quite surprised she handled this rather well."

"She doesn't know the details yet," Howard pointed out, "plus she's not one to lose her cool. She's always in control, never panics, never throws tantrums, always calm. She's a real darby, that one."

Tania's gut sank lower and lower to the ground. "Oh."

Steve walked over to his girlfriend and placed a hand on her arm. "You okay?"

"Sure. Fine." She shrugged off his hand and crossed her arms, leaning back against the desk. "The woman you loved and were forced away from has just come back into your life. I'm totally fine."

"Tania…"

"Steve."

"Settle down, now," Howard pleaded, not wanting anything too emotional. "Wouldn't want a fight to break out now."

"No, we wouldn't." Tania turned her head away from Steve and towards Howard. "So how's the time machine coming along?"

"Eh… not too well." He gestured towards the glass room where they all followed his gaze. The contraption didn't look much different, however there were tons more parts lying around it, scattered and in disarray. "I've only barely started. I managed to finish making the blueprints yesterday, but as for the actual construction, I haven't started yet. I was hoping to get to that sometime today."

"Need a hand?" she offered.

"No thanks, don't want to make a lady get down and dirty, 'specially not a city-slicker like yourself."

"A what?" her eyes narrowed.

"It means that you're from the city, which in part isn't true, considering you grew up in many different places, some country and some city," Steve explained.

"Oh, well still, a lady shouldn't be building machines like this."

Tania frowned. "I suppose I'll have to forgive you for that, considering it's nineteen forty-five." Howard looked puzzled. "What would you have me do then?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Someone's an eager beaver." At least he used an expression she was familiar with this time. "I don't know but if you really want to help I'm sure I'll find something for you to do."

"Thank you."

At that moment, Peggy returned. All three heads spun around to see her entrance. She clasped her hands in front of her and cocked her hip.

"What are we waiting for?"

* * *

"Well that's… certainly more than I expected. Am I dreaming?" she asked.

Steve shook his head. "No, you're not dreaming. This is real."

"So you… didn't escape from the ice. You're technically still there… but here at the same time?"

"Not exactly. I'm from the future… I guess. I'm technically over ninety years old."

"Are you sure?"

He chuckled. "I'm sure."

"So… there are two of you."

"Right now, yes."

"And… this is your… girlfriend, from the future."

Steve looked over at Tania who stood behind his chair with a hand on his shoulder. She sent him a tiny smile. He returned it. "Yeah, yeah she is."

Peggy nodded. "Of all the things I expected from you, this was never one of them. I can't bring myself to believe your story yet it's hard not to. For one thing, you're sitting right in front of me and you look… different. Older, I suppose. And then there's you," she gestured to Tania, "you speak differently and you act differently and even your name is uncommon. Howard has reason to believe you, so why shouldn't I? It's just… so hard to take in."

"We understand," Steve reassured her, placing a hand on her knee and squeezing it, "Take whatever time you need."

She held up one delicate finger. "One moment."

It was silent for a little while as she stared at the ground like it could give her the answers. But then she looked up and stared at his face. She slowly reached out to touch it. Her hand rested on his cheek for a brief second before she pulled away.

"Definitely real," she whispered. She inhaled deeply and nodded vigorously. "Okay, yes, I think I've accepted it. I think." She sucked in a breath. "So… what's going to happen?"

"Well, Howard is working on rebuilding the time machine, so Tania and I have the option of going… back. But neither of us is sure whether or not we're going to make use of it."

Peggy turned to Tania. "You're thinking about staying?"

"Yes."

"… for Steve?"

"… yes."

"But won't you miss the time you come from?"

"About as much as Steve misses this one. Or, missed, I guess, because he's here."

"Are you willing to make such a huge sacrifice?"

"I… will see."

"But until Howard can make this… machine, you two are stuck here."

"That's right."

"What are you going to do until then?"

"Probably help him build it."

"That's it? For however long it takes him to construct the device, you two are going to be cooped up in here, working? How is that going to help you decide anything? You have to get out into the world and experience it, and then it will be easier to decide."

Peggy wanted to Steve to stay – that much was clear. It was in her body language and in the implications of her words. The longer she was around the agent, the more Tania wanted to go back. However before she could argue, Steve agreed to it and she knew that she couldn't stop him, nor did she want to leave him alone with her while she helped Howard.

"That sounds reasonable," he said.

"Great!" She lit up with hope. "Why don't we all go dancing?"

Of course that would be her first suggestion. Even so, Tania whacked Steve's arm playfully. "I told you."

He smiled up at her. "Even so, I… don't think I'd go."

Peggy's face fell. "Why not? Your promised ma dance, Captain, and I intend to get one."

His resolve crumbled and Tania felt jealousy spark again. She had begged him to go and couldn't convince him, yet two seconds with Peggy and he was putty in her hands. She stiffened but otherwise didn't say or do anything.

"I did didn't I…"

"Come on then." She made to reach for his hand but pulled away at the last second and coughed. She led the way out the door and Steve and Tania followed, bidding Howard good-bye. This should be interesting.

Not too long later, the trio found themselves at a diner for lunch. Peggy and Steve caught up while Tania picked at her food. The agent told stories of the Howling Commandos and Colonel Phillips and of celebrations after the war. Steve longed to hear more. They talked and talked and Tania felt more like a third wheel than that time she'd accompanied her college best friend to the movies with her boyfriend and they'd made out next to her the whole time the film was playing.

After Peggy paid for lunch (she'd insisted), the three of them went to a club. It was still fairly early so there were hardly any people there, but there was a decent amount. Tania supposed that people didn't stay up as late in this time.

The three of them ordered some drinks (though Steve was unaffected by the alcohol – as usual) and hit the dance floor. Steve couldn't have looked more awkward if he tried. He was blushing from head to toe and his movements were jerky and stiff. Because swing dancing was a partner dance, Tania was forced to find some other shmuck to dance with. Not that her partner was awful or anything, in fact, he was pretty easy on the eyes and a really good dancer, but she couldn't stop staring at Steve and Peggy across the room.

Eventually they switched and she ended up with Steve again. She found herself smiling more and more until she forgot about her surroundings all together and just spent her time with Steve laughing and enjoying herself.

She remembered when she first apologized to him in the gym and then ended up dancing. He'd dipped her, almost kissing her when Clint and Natasha walked in, stopping it in its tracks. She wished that would happen again, but she knew it wouldn't.

When the song ended, they returned to the counter to order more drinks. Tania threw back a shot as Peggy pulled her love back out. People had started filling the place and before any of them knew what was happening, it was nine o'clock at night. How long had they spent at this club? Five hours? Six? More?

Tania sat at the counter all alone, watching as Steve and Peggy danced together. They were both obviously having a good time. Someone sat beside her but she barely registered them. Until they tapped her shoulder.

"Squeeze that glass any harder and it'll break," the man pointed out.

Tania blinked and looked down at her hand, gripping her cup with such force that if she were Steve or Thor it would have exploded in her fingers. "Oh." She set it down roughly and swiveled around. "Another please!" she called out.

As the bartender refilled her glass, the man from before, spoke again. "I don't think I've ever seen you here before. You must be new." He stuck out his hand. "The name's Charles."

She tentatively shook his hand. "Mine's… Nancy."

"Well Nancy," he stood up without letting go of her hand and pulled her off her seat, "let's do what we both came here to do. Let's dance."  
Tania found herself responding without meaning to as the alcohol buzzed in her system. Why not? She'd already affected the lives of everyone in this place just by being there, what was another dance with another man?

They danced the night away and he kept smiling at her in a way that made her feel warm – but that might have been the shots she'd taken. She'd only had a few, but she couldn't hold her liquor very well. Steve knew that. Yet while he danced with Peggy she had downed more shots and he hadn't noticed.

Then Charles dipped her and when she was brought back up, she swore she was much closer to him than before. Not three seconds later did a tap on his shoulder interrupt their dancing. Steve stood there glaring at him with Peggy just behind him.

"May I cut in?" he asked politely.

Charles shrugged and left. Steve placed his arms in the proper places and they commenced the upbeat dance. There were quite a few spins and even a lift or two. Steve lifted her effortlessly and spun her around with grace. True, they were both out of practice but as long as he didn't drop her, neither of them cared.

"Someone jealous?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Yeah I guess you could. I'll answer if you do too."

"Yes, I was jealous."

"Me too."

He spun her around before pulling her back to him. "I'm dating you. I love you."

Just hearing those words from him made her heart soar and she beamed. He lifted her and she flipped over his arm before landing on the ground again. The song ended with the two of them pressed against each other and panting heavily (him not so much, what with the serum and all).

Before she knew what she was doing, she kissed him. The sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the room before the next song started up.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N. Hiya! 23rd chapter :D This one takes place immediately after the last one, so if you need a reminder, Steve and Tania kissed and there was the sound of a door slamming. And they're at a swing dance bar, aka frolic pad (which loosely translated to dance bar). Sorry if you don't know the lingo but it's pretty self-explanatory and/or easy to figure out if you use context. With that said, Enjoy :D**

Chapter 23

Steve pulled away first. "Was that…?"

Tania sighed. "Probably."

"I should go talk to her."

"Okay, let's-"

"Alone."

"Oh… I… I guess that would probably make more sense."

He kissed the top of her head and grasped both of her shoulders. "Thanks. Be right back. No more dancing with that guy and no more alcohol while I'm gone."

"Dang…"

He chuckled and made his way to the door, scanning the room with his super soldier eyes to make sure that Peggy wasn't still inside before following the sound of the door slamming. Outside it was dark and cold, not a star was in sight.

Peggy stood with her back to him on the veranda, leaning forward over the railing with her arms crossed. Steve tentatively approached.

"Peggy?"

She jumped and whirled around, fists clenched as if ready for a fight. When she saw that it was just him, she relaxed. "Oh, it's you."

"Who else?"

She laughed bitterly. "Who else indeed…"

"Why are you out here all alone?"

She turned back to the railing. "I wasn't able to find the right partner, I suppose. Though I've heard it's not all that hard."

"Peggy…"

"If you're going to try and reason with me that it didn't mean anything, you should leave now before I get out my gun." She half-joked.

"I wasn't going to say that." He stepped up beside her. "Tania kissed me because she loves me, and I kissed back because I love her. That's how relationships work."

"Well, look who's an expert on women now."

He laughed slightly. "Not even close. I've just gotten used to being in a relationship with her."

There was a brief pause as Peggy took in this information. "How long have the two of you been together?"

"About a month and a half."

She whipped her head towards him. "That's it?"

He grinned. "I know, I know. It seems like we're moving really fast, but it took us a month by itself just to get together. With everything we've been through, it seems like a lot longer."

"And… what have you been through?"

He pursed his lips. "Well, there was the time she was kidnapped accidentally by a mad scientist who actually wanted the Avengers. Then there was the time that she was sent after us on a mission to calm down the Hulk. There was also the time that a gunman went after her in her office-"

"I think I've heard enough. Your lives sound traumatically dramatic enough to speed up a relationship."

"Well when you put it that way…"

"Was our relationship not dramatic enough for you?"

Another brief silence. "What relationship?"

She inclined her head towards him as she stared at the empty road ahead of them. "Do you not count deep friendship as a relationship, Captain?"

"Well.. uh, Agent Carter, I…"

She chuckled. "It seems I was wrong. You still don't know a bloody thing about women."

"No."

As their conversation took a break, the two of them felt a slight breeze pick up, ruffling their hair and cooling their bodies from all the dancing they'd done inside. A street lamp nearby flickered dangerously.

"Steve, can I ask you a question?"

"Always."

"If you were to stay here… for good… would it be because of me?" she twisted her torso to look at him, her brown eyes imploring.

Steve stared straight into them, losing himself in them. After a few seconds he was able to respond. It came out in a whisper. "Partly."

She nodded and turned away. Steve felt lighter somehow, like looking into her eyes had grounded him but now that she wasn't staring at him anymore, he could just float away like a balloon. He didn't know if that was a good feeling or a bad feeling.

"I went to the Stork Club that night," she stated. "I wore that red dress you seemed to like so much when I wore it the first time. You never showed."

"I'm sorry Peggy."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I just… thought you should know."

"I never meant to hurt you. That's the last thing I want to do."

"Sometimes the last thing you want to do is the one thing you have to do."

"Very wise," he commented.

"Maybe."

"Maybe we should head back inside."

"I don't quite feel up for a frolic anymore. I'd probably look like a dead hoofer in there."

"Nonsense. You'd look great." She looked up at him warily. "And besides, they don't call it a frolic pad for no reason."

"I'm think I'm going to head home. You keep dancing." There was something in her voice that started tearing at his heart. "You've obviously learnt how from someone else."

With that, she pushed away from the railing and stepped down the porch stairs. "Wait, Peggy, let me walk you home."

"Don't be ridiculous, go back to your girlfriend Steve. I'm sure she'll be wondering where you are right about now," she called over her shoulder as she continued walking.

"Peggy it's dangerous at this time of night!" he shouted after her.

"I'm armed Captain, I'll be fine." She waved her hand nonchalantly and turned a corner and out of sight.

Steve sighed. He hurt her. And he didn't know how to fix it.

* * *

The next day, Tania and Steve took Les Misérables to the library and continued reading aloud to each other, but quietly. The only reason they'd gone to the library in the first place was to get out of the house and 'live', as Peggy had so eloquently put it. Oh, and Tania had a really bad hangover. The library was as quiet as a place as they were going to get.

They had made a large amount of progress by lunch, but stopped when Tania slammed the book down on the table, receiving several "Shh!"s from the others around them. She ignored them and the pounding in her head.

She leaned over to Steve's ear and whispered, "You've been especially depressed all day. Did something happen yesterday?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before replacing his hat. "I guess you could say that. Peggy is… upset."

"Understandable."

"I want to make her feel better, but I don't know how."

"Is she upset about us?"

"I think so."

"Then the only thing that will make her feel better is…"

"Don't say it."

"Well, there's that… or she's just going to have to learn to accept it."

"There must be something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly. There's nothing you can do." She rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "She'll come around."

"Or maybe I will," he whispered, barely audible. Tania froze. So did Steve. "Was that out loud?"

"Yes. Yes it was." She stood up, tense. "I… I'm going to go back to the house."

"Tania…"

"No, no, I'm fine! I just… need to be alone for a little while. I'll see you later."

"Tania wait!"

"SHHHHHH!"

Tania was out the door before the people stopped shushing him. He ran after her. When he exited the library, Tania was nowhere in sight.

"Tania?" he called, jogging down the steps. No answer. He listened hard, utilizing his super serum-enhanced hearing to find her footsteps.  
They came from the left. He jogged after them. He turned the corner and found Tania walking away, head down. But then her head popped up and her shoulders were set back and you could never tell that she was upset from behind.

"TANIA!" She stopped but didn't turn. Steve reached her in three seconds flat. "Tania, please don't do the same thing Peggy did. I don't need the both of you mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you, Steve."

"You aren't?" He seemed utterly shocked at this new revelation.

She shook her head. "No. I'm just… resigned, I guess. And jealous. Peggy probably feels the same way." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Too bad she doesn't have you to comfort her. She has Howard."

"That poor woman."

Tania couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. She slapped his arm lightly. "That was mean and uncalled for."

"I don't know about uncalled for, considering it got you to smile again."

"Oh Steve… I swear you're the best boyfriend in the world."

"I'm sure every girl says that about their boyfriends."

"Well they're all wrong."

He laughed. "I don't think-"

"Don't get modest on me, Mister!" She kissed his nose. "You're the best."

His grin threatened to split his face. "If you say so, Darling."

Oh how she missed when he called her that. "What do you say we just pretend like this little moment never happened? We can go back to reading Les Mis."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Steve didn't see Peggy for another two days after that. In the meantime, he and Tania were always out of the house doing things. They went miniature golfing, they went to museums, Steve even took her on a tour of Brooklyn to show her places like the orphanage he and Bucky grew up in and the house he'd lived in with his mother before she died. He showed her the hospital she'd worked at, the streets he and Bucky had played on, the alleyways he'd been beaten up in, the secret hiding places he'd had as a kid.

Tania felt like she was getting to know the Steve before the serum, like she had actually been there to witness it. It was like a whole new side to him that she'd only over caught glimpses of before. She had to say, she enjoyed the tours very much. She was very inquisitive and was always asking questions.

He answered them without hesitation, though there was always this aura of sadness and melancholy as he thought about them. Even though he'd gone back in time, a lot of the people he loved were still dead: his mom, his dad, Bucky, etc. Although it was something he'd come to terms with, it still must be hard to have come so close to seeing them again.

On the third day, they decided they really did need to help Howard build the time machine and went to visit him at his office. He was there, covered in oil and with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. Howard accepted their help gratefully – though he kept Tania out of the glass room entirely, instead having her map out and copy the blueprints. She didn't mind too much, she was good at that sort of thing.

It was in this position, hunched over a desk slathered with blueprints and Steve and Howard in the soundproof glass room next door, that Peggy walked in. Tania looked up and had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying something rude like, "Don't you knock?". Instead, she offered a weak smile and went back to work.

"Ms. Banks," Peggy greeted.

"Agent Carter," Tania returned without looking up from her sketch of the time machine. "How are you today?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was saying them. It must have been a habit from being polite to all those other businessmen and women at Potter Inc.

"Fine. And yourself?"

"Good, thank you."

An awkward silence followed. After some more sketching, Tania looked up. Peggy was still standing there, observing the designs. "Can I help you?"

She blinked. "Not really, I just came to see Mr. Stark but I can see that he's busy. I suppose I'll wait until he's finished. It shouldn't be too much longer." She pulled up a chair at the table. "That's a very good drawing." She gestured to the sketch Tania was working on.

"Um, thanks. It's just from memory so it's not that great."

"You have a talent for art. That must be something the two of you have in common."

"It is."

This was the most awkward conversation Tania had ever had. "Agent Carter, if you don't mind my asking, why are trying to be civil with me?"

"Because that is what mature adults do."

"I know, but you don't have to strike conversation with me if you hate me."

"I don't hate you. Do you hate me?"

"… no. It's just…"

"The temptation of someone else is eating you alive?"

"Yeah. We're in the same boat, aren't we?"

"Not quite. He loves you." Peggy seemed almost unnoticeably but undoubtedly sad.

"No, I'm pretty sure he loves you too."

"What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you're the main reason he wants to stay. And how when you were upset, you were all he could think about for hours. He cares about you a lot. I just don't know if he realizes how much yet."

Peggy was silent, instead choosing to observe the papers scattered on the desk. "You seem like a respectable woman for someone like Steve."

"You seem like a perfect match for him."

The two made eye contact and didn't break the stare for a long time. Eventually they both cracked smiles and started laughing.

"What are we doing?" Peggy asked.

"We're trying to convince the man we both love that he loves the other."

"How ridiculous is that?"

"Very."

The laughter died down. "You know, if you were born in this time, I think we could have been good friends."

"I think so too. I have a friend kind of like you back home. Her name's Natasha. We're good friends."

"Really? What's she like?"

"I really shouldn't be telling you this kind of thing. It could change the whole future."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, Howard and I promise that we would carry on our lives as if you never entered them so that the future could be as unchanged for you as possible. No matter what you tell me, I will never repeat it, not even to myself."

Tania eyed the agent carefully. Should she trust her? This was the woman vying for Steve's affections, yet she seemed really nice and trustworthy. She mulled over this for a few seconds before giving in. "Alright. So her name is Natasha Romanoff…"

The two women conversed, sharing stories about future and "past" alike and getting along rather well. They were laughing together when Steve and Howard finally left the glass room. Both men were frozen in the doorway.

Howard leaned over to Steve without taking his eyes away from the girls. "I feel like we missed something. Do you feel it too or is it just me?"

"No, I feel it."

"Oh, good."

Peggy and Tania turned to face the two of them. "You guys done for the day?" Tania asked.

"Uh… yeah," Howard replied, nodding his head like a robot.

"Okay then, Steve and I will be going then. I believe Peggy had something to tell you…?"

The woman in question waved her hand as if to say, 'forget about it'. "Not anymore, but thank you."

"No problem."

"I'll see you all when I see you." Peggy grabbed her jacket and left.

Tania turned to the others. "So you two ready to go to the house?"

"That depends, is that sketch finished yet?"

"Oh!" Tania looked down at her imagining of the time machine. "Almost." She coloured in the large gear at the back quickly and handed it to Howard. "Done." She pushed herself to her feet. "I'll be waiting for you two outside. It's a beautiful night for a walk on the beach."

She grabbed her coat and hat and left as well, leaving Howard and Steve to stare after her.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N. Hi guys! So I told a few of my reviewers not to expect this for a couple more days but it just poured out of me. Hope you're not disappointed XP I will admit, half of this isn't even plot and the other half occurred to me last night, not even in a dream. Also, I'm not hating on Colonel Phillips, I just wrote what my fingers typed out. Hope you enjoy! :D**

Chapter 24

The four of them worked like this for several days, occasionally taking a break to go out and do something you wouldn't be able to do in the future. Realizing that there was no rush to build the time machine, the lot of them (including Howard) even went out to Coney Island for a whole day. It was a day full of laughs and good times, though the tension in the love triangle never truly left – it was always there, always lurking in the shadows waiting to spring on them at the most random of times.

For the most part, they were all able to keep their jealousy and emotions on the back burner, however, sometimes they sprang up to the front, causing the person to snap. Said person would immediately apologize and things would go back to the tense but "normal" way things were.

Howard wasn't too happy about being the mediator for this love triangle, but Steve and Peggy were his closest friends and Tania was quickly becoming one as well. On days when they were all sat in his office (which weren't very often, seeing as Peggy had an actual job to do and couldn't come around all the time), he kept them all occupied with his cheery talk and witty remarks.

When Tania wasn't sketching, she was in the glass room, watching as Steve and Howard worked. She would be lying if she didn't say that she mostly watched Steve – and got turned on by him. His large muscles moved and flexed in ways that made her dizzy. It was intoxicating to watch.

Of course, observing Howard was just as interesting. His hands and fingers danced around the metal objects with grace and strength at the same time; a powerful combination. He became so absorbed in his building and his mind that he often just tuned out of conversations when he thought too hard.

He was so much like Tony that it physically hurt to look at him for too long a time. She had even mistakenly called him, "Tony," a couple of times, thoroughly embarrassing herself in the process.

It was a pattern they all enjoyed. For Peggy, it was a way to spend time with Steve before his potential departure. For Howard, it was the same (but less romantic). For Tania, it was one step closer to home. For Steve, it was a distraction from the big choice he knew he'd eventually have to make.

This pattern continued for about a week and a half. On that day, something unexpected happened.

The four of them were gathered in the main part of Howard's office, having a lunch break. The place was a mess. Food wrappers and take out containers lay everywhere, papers and blueprints were scattered all over the desk and floor, and a couple chairs were even knocked over. No one minded.

Peggy and Tania both sat on a desk, while Steve and Howard leaned against the one opposite them. They were all eating take-out food and conversing in a friendly manner.

It was then that a harsh knock echoed throughout the room. It was silent faster than a balloon could pop. The voice of Colonel Phillips reached their ears. "Mr. Stark, I need to see you."

Howard mouthed various swear words as everyone rushed to their feet, not knowing what to do. The Colonel couldn't see Steve! He couldn't be trusted with the secret of time travel.

"Uh… h-hold on a minute!" Howard called back. Everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off thinking, "What do we do? What do we do?"

"I didn't say a minute, I said now."

The panic was practically tangible. Howard visibly jumped as an idea came to him. He ushered Steve into the glass room.

"Where am I supposed to hide in here?" he hissed.

"Behind the time machine! Peggy, you go with him." He shoved the agent in as well.

"I'm coming in, Mr. Stark." The door knob turned.

Thinking on his feet (and regretting it later), Howard realized that there was no time to stuff Tania into the room without being seen through the wall and slammed the door shut before he pushed her against it and kissed her with all her had.

To say she was shocked was an understatement. To say she was angry was another understatement. To say she didn't have a better plan… wasn't exactly an understatement, but it was true none the less.

Colonel Phillips walked just as Tania closed her eyes and pretended to be okay with this. "STARK!" the man barked out harshly. He didn't sound surprised, just annoyed - which, in hindsight, was probably what made the plan almost foolproof.

Howard yanked himself away from her as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. Tania looked scandalized, which worked for the part she was playing and the way she felt on the inside. She just kissed Tony's dad.

…

She'd never be able to look at him the same way again. If she ever did, that is…

Colonel Phillips looked around the room, observing the mess, and obviously assuming the worst – they were about to have sex. The thought sent Tania for a loop and she found herself leaning against the doorway much more than she should. The scandalized expression was frozen there.

"Colonel Phillips! I apologize, I-"

"Save it Stark, I don't want to hear the details about your latest escapade." The man walked in and dropped a large folder of papers onto the desk with a loud THUD. "I want these looked over and approved by the end of tomorrow."

"Yes sir."

"And get her out of here, you're paid to work, not break women's hearts."

"Of course sir, I'll just escort her out-"

"I'll do that. You. Get back to work."

"But-"

"No buts! I will escort Ms…"

"Uh, Nancy."

"Ms. Nancy to the exit, and you will GET BACK TO WORK. Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded and saluted the man. "Yes sir!"

"Good." He grabbed walked over to Tania and grabbed her arm harshly. He pulled her out of the room as Howard sent her an apologetic glance. She glared at him, but didn't get to do it for long as she was yanked away. The Colonel was muttering to himself about something along the lines of, "inconceivable work ethics"?

He dragged her up the stairs and practically threw her out the door of the beach shack. She tripped and dropped her hat but otherwise remained upright. She turned back to see him gripping the door and staring at her with narrowed eyes. He pointed his index finger at her. "If I see you within fifty feet of this facility or if I ever hear that you've given away our location, you're as good as done. Got it?"

"Yes sir."

"Good." There was an almost awkward pause as he shifted his feet in the doorway. "And Ms. Nancy?"

"Yes?" She was fuming at how this man had treated her, but she kept her clenched fists behind her back and forced herself to remain somewhat calm.

"You can do so much better than Stark." And then he was gone, having slammed the door so hard that the entire wooden shack rocked back and forth.

Tania huffed. She knew he meant well, but he didn't have to manhandle her all the way to the exit. She could find her out perfectly on her own.

Not that he knew that, but still. She picked up her hat and dusted off what she hoped was all of the sand and put it back on her head. The whole, "within fifty feet of the facility" thing had ruled out her idea of sitting and waiting right outside. She decided to go back to Howard's place – but she didn't have the key with her. Steve did. Oh joy.

Despite this fact, she headed back in that direction. She supposed she'd have to wait by the house for someone to come home. And then she could give Howard a piece of her mind… or her whole fist. Whichever came first.

* * *

"What do you mean he threw her out?" Steve asked incredulously, his voice rising. "Why would he do that?"

Howard looked incredibly sheepish; something no one ever thought possible. "Um, well, okay don't take this the wrong way but… I may have… you know, kissed her to pretend like she was another one of the duchesses I bring to my office sometimes."

"… you what?"

"Your best friend just kissed your girlfriend. In other words, your friend's dad just kissed your girlfriend in order to convince someone else that they were in the middle of something," Peggy reiterated.

"In the middle of kissing?"

"… yeah, sure. Kissing."

Steve turned to glare at Howard who shrank back. The industrialist raised his hands in a peace making gesture. "It was the first thing that came to mind! I admit, it was a very bad brain child I had, but it was the only one so I went with it! I had no bad intentions when I did it I swear! There were no wandering hands or any tongue action at all! You can ask the lady herself!"

"I think I will." Steve uncrossed his arms and brushed past Howard. Before he left, he put his glasses back on and nodded to Peggy. "Good day."

He stormed off, slamming the door behind him most likely unintentionally. Had he done it intentionally, he might have just ripped the door right off its hinges.

After a moment of silence, Peggy turned to her friend. "You just had to kiss the pretty girl didn't you?" Howard shrugged. "You're so screwed."

* * *

Tania sat on the front steps, whacking her head against the door rhythmically. It hurt, but it stopped the onslaught of thoughts, phrases, and questions that were driving her INSANE.

A few minutes of this later, she spotted a shadow come over her. She looked up. There stood Steve. He didn't look too happy. In fact, he was frowning. He probably knew about the kiss. She gulped.

"Steve, I'm so sorry! He totally sprung that on me! I mean, he had reason enough to, but it's still no excuse. Or is it…? I don't know! What I do know is, that I love you and I would never cheat on you. I didn't even enjoy the kiss it was just stupid slobbery lips hastily pushed together. Not that he's a bad kisser or anything, it was just… rushed and nervous and hard and… stop me when I start rambling."

"Too late."

"Ha, oh well. Better late than never. I'll shut up now."

"Don't." He sat down on the steps next to her. "I like hearing your voice."

Tania rolled her eyes. "You know just what to say to a girl, you know that Steve?"

"I don't think so. Just you."

"Oh really? How confident are you about that?"

"Mm… I'd say, ninety-five percent accuracy rate."

"Hm, pretty confident. What would you say, if I was upset about the way I looked?"

"I'd tell you that you're beautiful and that you should never change." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Ding, ding, ding! Mr. Rogers wins round one! Okay, what about if I was super angry at you for something you don't know that you did?"

"Um… I'd tell you that whatever it is that I did, that I'm very sorry and am willing to do anything to make it up to you."

"Right again! How about if I was bedridden with sickness and feeling awful?"

He leaned in to whisper in ear for this one. "If you had a fever, I'd tell you that you look hot."

Tania burst out laughing into his chest. "Okay, what if I didn't have a fever?"

"Then… I'd tell you that I'll stick by your side no matter what happens. Through thick and thin I'll always be there."

"Damn. You really do know what to say to a girl."

Steve grinned. "Hey, you know when we first met, and I asked you about yourself, and you said that you hated swearing?"

"Yeah."

"What ever happened to that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Tony must have rubbed off on me, I guess."

"That's not a good sign."

She laughed. "No, probably not. But oh well. Ooh! What would you say if I told you I was pregnant?" That question totally popped out nowhere. She blurted it before she had even registered that anything had occurred to her. Once it was out there, she couldn't take it back. Even so, she regretted asking it the second she finished it and paled before looking away. She didn't move away though. She wanted to know his answer.

Steve pressed his lips together. "That's a hard one." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'd be shocked for sure, especially considering we haven't… done that, yet." He blushed a bright red. "Wait, does that mean it's not mine?!"

"No! No, no, no!" She rushed to reassure him. "Hypothetically, it's yours. I would never do that to you Steve, never."

"Okay then, um… I'd tell you that I'll help raise him or her and then I'd probably propose if we weren't married already."

"Really?"

"Yes. Hey," he leaned in to her ear again, "do I get a prize for answering all these questions correctly?"

She felt a grin slowly creeping onto her face. "Who said that last one was correct?"

"Your face said it all."

"Well in that case, I'm sure I could whip something up for you inside."

Steve didn't think he'd ever found his keys faster than at that moment. He shoved them in the lock and threw open the door. As soon as it was closed, their lips were attached. Her arms were around his neck, one hand running through his hair, the other pressed flat against his spine. His own arms snaked around her waist and held her to him possessively. They hadn't done this in what felt like forever.

The kiss was passionate and magical and they stumbled blindly through the kitchen and a couple hallways, eventually making it to Steve's room. She kicked the door shut behind them and then pushed herself against him hard enough to make him fall back onto the bed. She crawled on top of him and continued their make-out sessions from above him. She reached up behind her and took out the bun in her hair, letting it fall down around her shoulders.

Steve tangled his fingers into it immediately, loving the way the strands tickled his skin. She pulled back for a second to hastily remove her jacket and toss it to the floor. She attacked his mouth again with more fervor. His hands both moved to the sides of her neck with his thumbs brushing against her cheeks as her hands wandered his chest.

Steve rolled them over so that he was on top and pulled away to breathe, but Tania was having none of it. She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her, blocking both of their airways – not that either of them cared. She kept her hold on the tie tight, but eventually she rationalized that she needed to undo it and fumbled with it for a few seconds before it too was tossed to the side.

Next came his glasses, which she was a bit more careful about and set on the nightstand none too gently. "You know," she said between kisses, "you're probably not," kiss, "fooling anyone with those," kiss, "glasses." Kiss. "Who do you think you are?" Kiss. "Superman?"

He chuckled and she reveled in the way his chest and throat vibrated. "Some would say that I'm super and I'm definitely a man."

She laughed out loud, arching her neck and allowing him to kiss it feverishly. She gasped and arched as much as she could, holding the back of his head with one hand to keep him there. "You don't… get it. Superman is a comic book… AH ... character."

He smirked against her throat. "I know," he whispered hoarsely.

She giggled (something she like to think that she didn't do very often) and grabbed at his hair to pull his lips back to hers. "You think people won't recognize you with glasses on?" She asked into his mouth.

"And a hat."

She laughed again. "Oh honey, you've been lucky this far."

"I think I'm about to get luckier." His hand slid down from her waist down the side of her body to her thigh, which he gripped with his large and calloused hands. She hummed in approval and kicked off her shoes. Steve did the same. They both worked off their socks and their hats were long gone.

Tania began to un-tuck his crisp white shirt before she started unbuttoning it. This was the farthest they had ever gotten. Never before had they ventured underneath clothes. It was a new step that both were more than happy to take.

When she had the entire thing open, she ran her hands along his well-defined muscles and dreamy abs. She broke away for a moment just to admire it before going back to their kissing, but there was something different about this kiss. She realized it was that he was totally out of breath, something that shouldn't be happening because she had pulled away to breathe a few seconds ago. But then she deduced that he was breathless from the way she touched him. She traced his muscles with the tip her finger nail and he shuddered, igniting a hidden fire that she thought had already consumed her. Apparently she wasn't hot enough as she felt heat start to pool near her stomach.

It was when she stroked the waistband of his pants by accident that he pulled away. He didn't go far, but it was clear that he wasn't going back in any time soon. Both were panting like they'd just run a marathon as they stared at what they'd done to the other.

Steve had his shirt un-tucked and un-buttoned. It was also completely wrinkled and the cuffs were undone. His hair was messy and his lips were swollen and pinker than usual. His eyes bore into hers with the look of undeniable desire. His pupils were dilated and the blue seemed to pop now more than ever. His bare chest rose and fell in a heavy rhythm and his entire body had a light sheen of sweat.

Tania didn't look much different, what with the bed head-like hair, messed up lipstick, half un-buttoned blouse (when did that happen?) and skirt hiked up. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips were swollen as well.

Both their hearts were pounding in their ears and pumping throughout their entire bodies and both were incredibly hot. They spent a good two minutes staring at each other like that, him above her and leaning on his elbows, while they cooled down.

When they could both breathe regularly again, Steve fell to the side of the bed, landing right on his pillow. He turned his head to look at her and couldn't stop the feeling of pride in him at his "work". "Hey."

She smiled. "Hey."

"That's the… farthest we've ever been."

"Yup." She popped the "p".

"It felt… really, really good."

"I would hope so."

"How did it feel for you?"

"You're asking this like we just had sex, which we didn't!"

"Well… I just want to know."

"For your information, it was so mind-blowingly amazing that I have to go have a shower to cool down." She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"So you don't… mind? That we didn't… you know, go all the way?"

She shrugged, her back to him. "Nah, I know you want to wait until marriage. But honestly? I don't think Howard thought to put protection in here?"

"What do you-? Oh."

"Yeah." She pushed on her knees and stood up, giving Steve a nice view of her backside. Despite their previous actions not minutes before, he blushed and averted his eyes. He could hear her chuckle as she walked away. "Still same old Steve. Same old Steve."

**P.S. Sorry if Peggy was OOC, but I really wanted that line to be said xD**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N. Heyo! Sorry this one's "late", but it's super long so I hope you guys enjoy :D I also had a pretty good excuse for not updating yesterday. I was out of the house for like seven hours and then when I got home it was just too hot to write. It was 42 degrees Celsius and 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity. Depending on where you live that might be really hot or not hot at all, but here, I was pretty much dying. My home also doesn't have air conditioning -_- and my room is upstairs... heat rises. Ugh. On another note, this one is long (as I said) and before you ask, yes, this does seem random but I had it planned the entire time. I mean, I didn't know when I was going to put it, so in that way it's random, but it was going to happen at some point. You'd know if you read the trailer xP So yes, this all has to do with the plot. Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 25

Howard creeped up the porch steps in the dead of night, returning home from work late. He silently slid his key into the door before pushing it open slowly. When it creaked, he cursed. He stepped inside and shut the door, wincing when it creaked again. He locked it and turned around-

"HOLY F-!" he jumped right out of his skin. Standing there, with her arms crossed, was one Tania Banks, tapping her foot in impatience. The foyer was almost pitch black, but it was light enough to see silhouettes and Howard recognized hers as her own. With a hand on his racing heart, he lowered her voice in case Steve was sleeping. "Tania, you scared the bejeezus out of me!"

His statement was met with a resounding slap against his cheek. He recoiled and held a hand to his quickly flaming face. "What was that for?" She slapped again on his other cheek. "Okay, okay, I get it! Stupid question!"

"Howard Stark." From the way she hissed his name, he knew she was seething. This would not go well.

"Um, yes?"

"Why on Earth would you think that it's okay to kiss me: The girlfriend of your close friend?"

"Um… I didn't?"

"Then why did you do it!"

"Shh! You're going to wake up Steve."

"He's not sleeping. He's in the other room waiting for his turn."

Howard gulped. "Look, Tania, I am really sorry. It was the first idea that I thought of and Agent Carter has already given me a fifteen minute lecture on how wrong it was to do it even on impulse. I never meant to cause any relationship trouble between the two of you-"

"You didn't."

"Oh. Well, then I never meant to… erm, emotionally scar you."

"That, you may have done."

"I'm sorry Tania."

She sighed and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I understand your reasoning and it did work pretty much flawlessly. You know, except for the part where I got manhandled." She glared forcibly at him.

"I'm sorry about that too. It looks like you're going to have to stay away from base for a while."

"You do realize what that means, don't you? I can't help with the time machine anymore, and if I know Steve, then he's not going to work on it either in favour of staying with me, no matter how much I try to convince him otherwise. Therefore, the work on the time machine has been infinitely delayed."

"Look, Tania, I never meant for any of this to happen! There just wasn't enough time to get you hidden so I had to come up with a reasonable excuse to have a beautiful woman in my office who isn't working for us. This was the most plausible explanation!"

"Well your 'plausible explanation' has just cost us precious time. Who knows when I'll be able to go home? I mean IF! IF I'm going to go home when the time machine is done."

"Look at it this way, now you've got more time to decide."

"But I don't want or need more time. What I want is to have two options right in front of me, and I can't really decide until Steve does. Whatever he chooses affects my own choice."

"Then I've just bought Steve more time to choose."

"Ugh!" She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "You don't get it! The sooner the choice is made, the sooner we can go about our daily lives."

"Then I'll just work twice as hard, that's all. You weren't originally going to help me anyway."

"Hm. That's true…"

"Exactly. So really, I didn't delay anything. I just halved the pace of work to its original time frame, that's all. And Peggy's probably going to help too."

"I wouldn't be too sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. But another thing I have to address with you is the fact that you are the father of one of my best friends."

"You told me that already."

"I know. But now think about that future role in your life, and the fact that you just kissed me."

Howard wrinkled his nose. "Ew."

"Exactly. I'll never be able to look at your son the same way again."

"But we're the same age! … almost."

"Not when I'm from."

"But we're not there now."

"But when I look at Tony, the only thing that's going to be going through my mind is, 'your dad kissed me and you'll never know'! Not to mention that you look just like him."

"You mean he looks just like me."

"Whatever!"

"Look, Tania, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that all of this happened and that my horrible plan has such horrible consequences. What can I do to make you forgive me?"

"You can't make me forgive you. However, I suppose you could do one little thing for me."

"Anything."

She bit her lip. "I think it would be a good idea if… you made a memory eraser gadget."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You know, something that can delete specific memories from a person's mind. It would come in handy with all the people we come into contact with in this time to erase their memories of ever meeting us. That way, we can go into the future with the least amount of affects possible – if that one theory is correct."

"A memory eraser…"

"It would make it seem like you and Peggy never met me or knew that Steve came back."

"What? No! You can't ask me to do that!"

"I can ask you whatever the hell I want!"

"But I don't want to forget the two of you!"

"You have to! For the sake of our future!" She said, referring to Steve and herself when she said, "our".

"I won't!"

"I'll never forgive you if you don't!"

Howard stared at the woman in front of him, searching for any sign of weakness or a lapse of judgement. He found none. He sighed. "I… suppose I could build it. But I have no guarantee that I'll use it!"

"… fine. But you have to let us use it on other people we meet and no, that does not include Peggy. It does, however, include Colonel Phillips."

Howard's mouth stretched into a smile. "You devious little genius."

She shrugged. "I can be cunning and mischievous when I want to be."

"If you had been born in this century and not the best friend of my future son and not the girlfriend of my supposedly dead close friend, I would have courted you."

She rolled her eyes. "Creep."

Howard scoffed and looked offended. It was the exact expression Tony used when he was being sarcastically insulted. "I resent that, Ms. Banks."

"I don't." She turned around and walked towards the living room, stopping in the doorway to grab the trim before twisting her head around to face him again. "Thanks." She entered the room.

Howard sighed in relief. His face still ached but he still felt like he had dodged a bullet with that one. That's when Steve entered the hallway looking unhappy. Howard decided to use something he'd heard Peggy say once or twice in this type of situation. "Bloody hell."

* * *

The next day, while Howard was hard at work in his office building the memory eraser – he'd apparently gotten some inspiration in his dreams on how it was going to work – Steve and Tania decided to read, listen to the radio, and spend the rest of the day drawing together. It was something they used to do at the Tower as a sort of "date". The two of them would remain cooped up in their gallery and create art all day. Sometimes they would talk, other times they would remain silent for long periods of time. Either way, both of them enjoyed the other's presence and art was something both found to be enjoyable – more so together than apart.

They had decided to do portraits of each other, sketching each other. After about an hour, they exchanged papers to view the other's work. Both had their own different styles but were good in their own way.

Around lunch time, someone knocked on their door. Steve and Tania shared a nervous look. They didn't move to answer it. The person knocked again.

"I'm sure they'll go away eventually," Tania reassured. The next set of knocks were louder and more aggressive. "Or not."

"Who do you think it is?"

"Maybe Howard forgot his keys?" The door rattled violently. "Or maybe Colonel Phillips is pissed?"

"About what?"

"I don't know, me?"

Steve opened his mouth to respond when the sound of receding footsteps reached their ears. Both of them let out a breath.

CRASH! Both of them jumped a foot in the air. Footsteps ran towards their location. Steve stood in front of Tania. There was no time to hide (plus there wasn't anywhere to hide in that room where they wouldn't be found).

"Stay behind me," he ordered, not taking his eyes away from the doorway.

Tania opened her mouth to protest when someone ran right past the doorway. The two of them froze up. The person backtracked and spotted them. It was a man of about forty years with a balding head and ruffled business suit. His eyes were wide and his hands were shaky.

"Quick! They're coming! They're coming!"

"Who's coming?" Steve asked loudly.

"SHH! We have to be quiet or they'll suspect something!"

"WHO'S COMING?"

"Hydra!" the man hissed.

Steve's blood ran cold and Tania gaped. "B-but how?" Steve asked incredulously.

"No time for explanations but we have to hurry, come ON!" the man gestured for them to follow him.

Exchanging wary glances, Steve and Tania followed him, hands clasped. They hurried down the hallways and out the front door just in time to feel the rumbling of the Earth. Steve paled. He would know that rumble anywhere. It was the vibrations of a tank.

He gripped Tania's hand tighter and pulled her down the street and as far away from the approaching tank as possible. All around, people were running and panicking. The street was quickly crowded and no one could run very far before bumping into someone.

None of this made sense. How could Hydra be attacking? The war was over. Hitler and Schmidt were both defeated. Steve had crashed the plane. So what was going on?

In the hurry, Steve had forgotten his "disguise". Everyone could see his face – not that anyone cared at this moment. Even so, he kept his head down. Something in his stomach didn't feel right, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He felt like farther he ran from the tank, the harder it would be to avoid this twisting in his gut.

The Earth shook more violently than ever and dozens of people toppled over on the road. A couple cars were trying to make a fast get away but weren't going anywhere fast with the road block of people. Steve's ears picked up the distinct sounds of metal gears and special kinds of tires creaking and groaning and squeaking as the machine that held it all together rolled ever closer.

He turned around on instinct. His face twisted into one of horror.

Coming around the corner just down the street, was indeed a tank. It was flanked by four men on each side wearing Hydra uniforms and carrying machine guns. They didn't have the same weapons as before that utilized the tesseract's energy. That alone proved that Steve had truly killed Schmidt. But even so, these "soldiers" were still dangerous.

They marched in complete sync alongside their one tank, atop which stood two more henchmen with guns. In a war, that was nothing. In an attack on an unprepared city, it was more than enough.

Steve stopped walking, pulling Tania to a stop as well. "Keep going," he demanded. He let go of her hand without looking away from the enemy he thought he'd vanquished.

"What? No! I'm not leaving you!"

"Tania, listen to me. You have to run."

She eyed the tank and henchmen warily. "I'm not running. But I'm not staying if that makes you feel any better. I'll hide nearby and wait for you."

Steve ground his teeth. "That _doesn't_ make me feel any better."

"Well I'm not going to just leave you here!"

"I'm going to take them down."

"Single handedly?!"

"How else?"

"With my help!"

By now, the street had almost cleared. People were screaming at the top of their lungs now. Tania and Steve were almost alone.  
The tank's launcher aimed itself at the center of the road: exactly where they were standing. "LOOK OUT!" Steve tackled Tania to the ground as the tank fired. Both hit the street painfully and rolled to the side as flames erupted from the newly made crater in the cement.

They pushed themselves to their feet as the men yelled, "HAIL HYDRA!" before disbanding. The eight men on ground ran forward and began to fire their guns at the remaining civilians.

At that moment, Tania realized why Steve had wanted to stay.

_You start running they'll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. Can't say no forever, right?_

He didn't run from fights. It just wasn't in his personality. Not only that, but these were the people that killed Bucky. These were the people that had been aiming a bomb at his home. These were the people that he had fought and won against, only to have them bob back up like a life jacket you try to make sink. He was going to fight them off – by himself.

Well, he was Captain America, first and only super soldier to ever walk the Earth. He was stronger, faster, more skilled than most humans. He'd gone into a Hydra base alone and returned with over two-hundred prisoners and his best friend. Surely he could do this.

Still, Tania hated to watch him do it alone. No one else was left to help – they'd all fled save for the few who were struggling. She knew she wasn't much of a fighter and she'd probably only get in the way, but that didn't stop the torrent of emotions that bombarded when she thought of Steve battling alone. It was feelings versus logic and most of the time logic lost. Not this time. She wouldn't throw herself into danger foolishly and probably get herself injured or killed. She wouldn't do that to Steve, but more importantly, she wouldn't do that to herself. Steve could handle it himself and if he needed help she'd come. It was as simple as that. But no matter what he said, she wasn't leaving. She'd never leave him.

With her resolve set, she squared her shoulders and grabbed his face in her hands before kissing him senseless. It was short but passionate. "Go."

He nodded, squeezing her elbow before running towards the Hydra followers. She didn't watch him go for long. She cursed her skirt and bolted for the old lady struggling to flee but stumbling too much for her own good. Tania gathered the woman in her arms (she was surprisingly light) and made her way down the street. Her pace was infinitely slower but she wasn't collapsing – that was a good sign.

Over by the tank, Steve rushed forward with a cry and took one of the masked men by surprise. He grabbed his gun and redirected it towards the sky when it fired, then he punched him in the gut before spinning around halfway with the gun still in his hand and elbowed him in the stomach before kneeing him in the fact. As he fell, Steve unhooked the gun from his chest and fired it at the others who had caught sight of him.

The gun was big and familiar and it brought back so many memories. He thought of that day on the train when he'd lost Bucky and he thought of when he'd raided a Hydra base by himself to save said Bucky. But he also thought of when he fought on the helicarrier with Tony as they tried to fix the engine that had been damaged. It was like his ever approaching choice was hidden in everything that he did. He pushed the thought away and chose instead to think about the thing in his hand alone.

With guns, it was so easy to take a person's life. There was a feeling of power that came with having a weapon in one's hand. It was those that could suppress it and use it for the greater good that deserved to have one in their hands. Steve thought he deserved it at this moment not to die and to defend himself with said gun.

A second henchman started firing at him and Steve performed a commando roll behind a nearby car. He ducked behind it and waited for his opponent to stop firing before he popped out over the top and started firing back. The vehicle rocked back and forth with the force of the bullets embedding themselves into its metal. Steve felt a brief second of guilt for destroying someone's property before it was forgotten and he started shooting again.

Three other men had ganged up on him now and they were getting closer and closer. Steve wracked his brain for something to do. He couldn't shoot them all at the same time, it was too risky. Quickly, he dropped the gun and placed both hands under the bottom of the car and gripped the edge. With a grunt and a mighty heave, he flipped it over far enough to knock all of them to the ground unconscious. He swiped the gun from the floor and spun around. The tank and the six remaining enemies had passed him and were slowly going in the direction Tania and the others had gone off in.

With strengthened resolve, Steve gripped the metal machine in his hands and pumped his legs. He sped forward until he caught up with the four henchmen on the left of the tank. He was behind them, so they didn't see him aim his gun. He shot them all before they knew what was happening and they fell to the ground, dead.

The sense of dread that came with killing people came back, but it wasn't as strong as the first time. It was like he told Dr. Erskine so long ago: I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies; I don't care where they're from.

With eight men down, Steve pushed himself forward to catch up with the tank. He watched as the two men who stood on top realized that they were alone and leaped off. They ran forward, guns held high, and out of Steve's sight. The tank was too big to see past. He ran to the right corner to see where the men were going. He swore his heart stopped beating as he cried out.

Tania was carrying an old woman and she was mere yards away from the corner – but she wasn't fast enough. The two henchmen were sprinting towards her. With a panicked gaze at the woman in her arms, Tania threw the lady around the corner just as the Hydra minions were upon her.

Steve didn't understand why they hadn't just shot her, but he was grateful for the extra time and didn't question it – not until later at least. He saw both men jump on her, tackling her to the ground, before the tank moved to the right and blocked his vision. The launcher part twisted around to face him as it continued to move forward. Steve didn't care.

He pushed himself harder, running faster, and leaped onto the lowest part of the tank, holding on tightly so that he was just below the cannon that fired explosives. He grabbed it and used it to swing himself up onto the roof. The tank reached the corner where Tania was trying to fight off the men. Steve took two giant steps before throwing himself off of the tank completely. He landed with a somersault a few feet away from the battle of two against one and wasted no time in taking action.

He grabbed one man by the strap of his gun across his back and threw him into the tank so hard that it was dented. The man fell forward and didn't get back up.

On the ground, Tania swiftly kicked the attacker on top of her where she knew it would hurt most. He groaned and she brought her hands to his neck and squeezed. The man choked and let go of her. She tossed him to the side and brought her hands beside her head so that her elbows stood up like triangles and brought her feet up before pushing off the ground and launching herself forward. She landed on her feet and spun on her heel, careful never to have her back to the enemy. The push off-thing was something Clint had taught her for two reasons: 1) it was a fast way to get off the ground (WHICH YOU NEVER WANTED TO BE ON IN THE FIRST PLACE) and 2) it looked cool. She was glad she executed it properly under such pressure.

She watched as Steve shot him several times and she covered her ears at the gunfire. When it was over, she stared at the dead man at her feet with a pounding heart. It took her twice as long as normal to notice that Steve was talking to her.

"Tania? Tania! TANIA!" He grabbed both of her arms, forcing her to look at him as she shook her. When she met his gaze, words spilled out of his mouth like a waterfall. "Thank God you're okay! I know this is all a shock to you right now but you need to forget about that guy. He would have killed you if I hadn't. Now come on, I need your help." He enveloped her hand in his and pulled her towards the tank as it fired at an entire block of houses, spreading the fire it had started back when it first shot at Steve and Tania.

"Got a plan?"

"Uh huh." He was the man with a plan after all. "Now listen closely. I'm going to get in there and take out the driver so that I can stop the tank. I need you to clear the road ahead for me in case anything goes wrong and I can't control it. Can you do that?"

She nodded but before she could run off to follow orders, he pulled her into an alleyway as the tank fired at them again. They hid there as the smoke cleared. Steve took one look at Tania, kissed her quickly and then ran off to attack the tank and take it down.

Tania pushed back her shock and took off after him. She couldn't run as fast as him, but she could sure as hell try. She zoomed as fast as she could until she was ahead of the tank. Clear the road, clear the road, clear the- She spotted a car left in the middle of the road, driver and passenger doors open, just waiting to be run over.

Knowing what she had to do, she made her way over to it and hopped right into the driver's seat. No keys in the ignition. Shit. She looked around the floor and in between the seats in case it was dropped. Her heart was racing faster and faster. She looked out to her left. There was the tank, heading straight for her.

She had no idea how to hotwire a car! What was she going to do?! Her fingers brushed against something metal and grated and she pulled out a key ring with several car keys on it from the passenger side floor. It was a small victory. She still didn't know which key it was. The tank looked larger than ever.

She fumbled with trying each key into the ignition until she got it right on the fourth try. The car revved around her and she gripped the steering wheel. Yet another problem arose. She didn't know how to drive a manual steering stick shift. She fiddled with the gear shift and kept swivelling her head to check the distance of tank. It was about twenty feet from her. She panicked and floored what she hoped was the gas pedal. The car sped backwards faster than she had anticipated (not to mention in the opposite direction of which she was trying to go) and she was sent flying forwards without a seatbelt. She whacked her head against the windshield pretty hard and everything rang around her.  
She was still conscious though and she quickly tried to switch to the brakes. It took a couple seconds but then she floored that too and the tires squealed and burned against the pavement as gravity flung her backward against the seat and she tumbled out of the open door.

She felt something sticky and liquid oozing down her forehead from her scalp and she was pretty sure it was blood. It ran down her face like the streaks of tears and her knees and hands stung from her several falls. Her skirt was ripped from trying to run so fast and her blouse was filthy from being tackled twice. Her ears were still ringing from when the tank had fired those two explosions at her and everything looked fuzzy. She forced her head up high enough to see the tank inching forward. There was nothing in its way. With a sigh, Tania gently set her head back down again.

All she wanted to do was nap, but something inside of her told her not to. She couldn't quite remember why that was, but for some reason sleeping right now seemed like a bad thing. So she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, ignoring the blood on her head and the scrapes all over her body and the bruises from where those Hydra bullies had hit her. She was pretty sure she had a split lip.

She lifted her heavy eyelids and forced herself to stay awake. She watched as the tank slowed to a stop about ten feet ahead of where the car she'd driven had been. She'd saved the car and maybe even Steve. She felt the corners of her lips turn up. She couldn't hear anything but a shrill ringing of a bell and everything hurt, but she knew that she helped in every way that she could.

She didn't hear Steve's cries of fear and anguish when he spotted her after stopped the tank. She didn't see him throw himself off of it just to get to her, nor did she see him fall to his knees in front of her. She didn't feel his arms beneath her head and back, but all the same she knew he was there. She felt his warmth that was definitely different from the cold of the sidewalk. She sensed his presence from the way her heart fluttered in a good way instead of a bad way. She recognized the colour of skin from the blurry vision and saw the beautiful blue of his eyes pop. She smiled. She couldn't see his mouth open or hear his scream, but she knew what he was like. Overprotective and over-concerned. She knew what she had probably wasn't fatal. It felt like the time she'd hit her head when she tried playing soccer that one time in high school. She'd only had a concussion back then, so that was probably what she had now: a concussion. Steve had nothing to worry about. Yeah, she was in pain, but so was he… probably.

She felt wetness on her cheek that didn't feel like blood. It felt thinner and more… wet. Tears? Was she crying? She hadn't noticed. Or maybe they were Steve's tears. She might never know.

Above her, Steve had shed a tear or two, but he wasn't really crying. He was just extremely worried about her. She'd done this because he'd asked her to. It was technically his fault she was in this mess in the first place. The guilt washed over him all over again.

He'd tried calling her name and asking her questions and screaming in frustration but she didn't seem to register any of it. She registered something though, he could tell from the way she smiled when he touched her.

There was one thing he hadn't tried yet, and he didn't want to, but… if it was the only way… He tentatively reached his hand towards the wound on her head behind her bangs. He gently touched it with his middle finger.

She cried out and brought her arms up to shield her face from further harm. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he quickly wrapped her up in his arms and cradled her I his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

He checked her pupils. Definite concussion. It wasn't fatal though. He sighed in relief. She didn't need a doctor, but she did need a first aid kit. There was probably one at Howard's house, but there were no guarantees. The only place he could think of with a guaranteed first aid kit was the military base Tania had just been banned from.

He'd be damned if that would stop him. He kissed the top of her head where she hadn't bumped it. "I'll be right back," he whispered. He set her down softly before marching angrily over to the unconscious soldier he'd thrown into the tank from before. He grabbed the man's vest and shook him awake violently. Steve was scowling so hard that if he wasn't so furious he might just be scared that his face would be stuck like that.

The Hydra minion started and Steve ripped away the man's mask. "How many more are you?" He asked, his voice deep and menacing. The man reached for something in his pocket but Steve slammed his fists onto the guy's hands and heard the sound of bones breaking. He was not committing suicide and getting away with this. "I'm going to ask you again, how many more are you?"

"I'll never tell," he responded through clenched teeth.

Steve grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the road. "TELL ME!"

"There aren't any more!" he shrieked.

"How was there you and your little troop when Hydra was destroyed weeks ago?!"

The man glared at Steve and bit a pocket in his shoulder. Realizing what he was about to do, the Captain made to stop him – but it was too late. The henchman had swallowed the pill. He began foaming at the mouth.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? You don't have any more secrets to keep from anyone! Your boss is dead! Hydra is no more!"

"There will… always be… Hydra. We have… avenged… its fall. But we will rise… again! HAIL… HYDRA!" he coughed and his head lolled. He was dead.

With a cry of frustration, Steve slammed him into the ground again. He ran his bloody fingers through his hair – it was a habit that he couldn't seem to break. He hadn't noticed the blood.

He looked back towards Howard's house. Eight men lay on the ground, not moving. Three were beneath the car he'd thrown and four were dead with bullet wounds to the heads and chests. The first one he'd attacked lay on the road, breathing and asleep. Perfect.

* * *

"Coming through!" Steve shouted, pushing and shoving his way through the workers at the military base, carrying Tania in his arms and hauling the fallen Hydra soldier by his wrist. Everyone gasped and got out of his way. They were probably recognizing him as Captain America, but he was in too deep to care. All that mattered was getting Tania to safety and the soldier into interrogation with Colonel Phillips.

When Steve reached Howard's office, he kicked the door open and walked inside as if he wasn't carrying two bodies – well okay, carrying one and dragging the other. Howard jumped violently from his place at his desk and spun around to face them. He blinked and gaped in shock.

"Tania!" he cried before running towards him. Steve tossed the soldier in front of him before Howard could reach them.

"Get this man to Colonel Phillips and get a first aid kit," he ordered in a tone that said, 'don't argue or else'.

"Get who to me?" Everyone whirled around to see Colonel Phillips enter the room. He spotted Steve. "What the-?"

Howard grabbed something from his desk and aimed it at the Colonel. He fired it once and the man fell to the floor next to the henchman.  
Steve turned to Howard, who blew on his device as if to cool it down. "Don't worry he'll be fine. I just erased his memory." He walked around the desk and grabbed the soldier from under the armpits and started to lug him to a chair, presumable to tie him up.

Steve could only stare. "I'm not even going to ask."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N. Hi guys! So I was googling Howard Stark and discovered that the same guy who plays him in Captain America (Dominic Cooper) plays Sky in Mamma Mia. O.O Mind = Blown. Mamma mia will never be the same for me... lol. So here's another chapter. Don't hate me for it if you don't think certain things should've happened because they did and would have eventually and I'm not changing it. At least not for a LONG while. With that said, I hope you enjoy it :D **

Chapter 26

Steve ran his fingers through his hair with both hands – again – and sighed. He stared at the woman he loved lying on Howard's desk, bloody and unconscious. She hadn't woken up since he'd started carrying her to base. Her head had been bandaged (luckily without removing any clumps of hair) and there were band aids on her knees. She breathed deeply with one hand on her stomach and the other hanging off the table like her calves.

He'd pulled up a chair beside her and sat there for half an hour. Howard had tied the henchman up on one of the chairs in his office and wheeled him into the interrogation room down the hall. After that, he dragged Colonel Phillips to medical and claimed that the henchman had woken up and attacked him but that Mr. Stark himself had knocked him out before he could do any more damage. He then returned to his office, checked on Tania, grabbed his memory eraser, and grinned maliciously. "I'm going to do something I always wanted to do. I'm going to go around shooting all my bosses and co-workers in the face with this thing." He gestured to the device in his hands that vaguely resembled a cross between a gun and a razor. After explaining to a horrified Steve what the device was, he departed and had yet to return.

Steve sat next to Tania, waiting for her to wake up. He didn't want to do it manually just in case. In case what? He didn't really know, but he thought it best that she woke naturally. If that soldier awoke before she did, he would go ever there and interrogate the man himself.  
He heard footsteps echoing down the hall outside the room but didn't pay them any heed. When the door opened, he turned around to see the intruder. It was Peggy. His shoulders relaxed and grumbled out a measly greeting before returned to his sulking.

"Hello to you too." She sat down on the desk opposite Tania's, letting her feet dangle in the air. "Is she going to be alright."

Steve ran a hand over his face, something he and Bruce both did at the same time once that the other Avengers had made fun off. He missed them. "Yeah, she's going to fine it's just a slight concussion and she's a little scraped up."

"It looks like so much more," she commented, eyeing Tania's body.

"Yeah."

Peggy turned to Steve. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Not really."

"Well that's too bad because that's an order."

"You can't give me orders!"

"The hell I can't! You're not a Captain anymore, Steve. Not here. Not now."

Steve smiled sadly at the rebooted version of their conversation on the plane that day so long ago. "So I have to tell you no matter what, is that it?"

"Precisely."

He sighed again. "Fine." He recounted the entire tale, leaving out his passionate kisses with Tania for her sake. At the end, Peggy nodded in understanding and looked at Tania in a whole new light.

"She's something, isn't she?"

"She's stubborn is what she is."

"Like you?"

He looked up at her and she gave him a closed mouth smile. He returned it and chuckled a bit. "I prefer the word determined."

"So you're determined and she's stubborn? I wonder what she'd say to that."

"Probably something along the lines of, 'you're one to talk'."

"Hm, yes. But back to the business I came here to complete, why do you think those Hydra soldiers attacked?"

"From what little information I was able to gather, I believe it was a last stand to avenge the fall of their leader. I can only assume they attacked Brooklyn because it's my hometown."

"And you were the one who ruined everything."

"Exactly. From what one of the other men said before he died, I can also assume that there are more of them left. Just because Schmidt is dead, it doesn't mean that there aren't still Hydra followers that exist somewhere. These ten people were just men banding together to get revenge."

"Do you think they succeeded?"

"There were some property damages but I don't think anyone was killed. Except them, of course."

"And Tania?"

Steve glanced at his girlfriend still sleeping on the table, snoring softly. "It's my fault she's like this, not theirs."

"They tackled her to the ground in front of your eyes. Had you not been there, they might have captured her for testing or killed her or tortured her or used her for fun. It is because of you that she is alive."

"I still feel guilty."

"Everyone does after a fight like that." There was a brief silence. "Was it easy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Was it easy? To defeat ten Hydra soldiers plus a tank and the one driving it?"

"Um… Not really. It was quick, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was easy…"

"Don't be so modest, Steve. From what you've said so far, I think you could've handled much more in the same amount of time. You're amazing."

Steve began to blush. "Gee, thanks Peggy but I don't need your compliments."

"Don't be silly! Everyone could use compliments once in a while. Don't they make you feel good?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

"Then that's all anyone can ask for, really."

He turned his head to stare up at her from his position in the chair. "Thanks Peggy. You really know how to cheer a guy up."

Her eyes softened and she crossed her legs, continually dangling them over the table. "You're very welcome, Steve," she whispered.  
The two of them stared at each other, locked in a fiery gaze where they couldn't look away. Steve briefly wondered how Howard was doing.

* * *

"DIE YOU CYNICAL BASTARDS!" Howard shouted as he burst into the lab and shot everyone with his memory eraser. He did commando rolls and pretended he was Captain America fighting Nazis as he shot all his co-workers. He'd fixed the glitch in the device that knocked people out when hit so that they would just reel back before resuming whatever they were doing, memory lost.

He was enjoying this WAY too much.

* * *

Steve and Peggy had inched closer, still staring into each other's eyes. He found that his chair was unconsciously wheeling towards her table and she was subconsciously leaning down toward him. Their faces were inches away and getting closer. His eyelashes were lowering and hers were fluttering. His heart started hammering against his rib cage. It was either because a) his body was trying to tell him DON'T YOU DARE CHEAT ON TANIA! But couldn't express itself in words, or b) he still had feelings for Peggy. Or maybe it was both.

_Knock, knock!_ The two of them jumped apart and because Steve was on a chair with wheels, he was sent flying backward into Tania's table, jerking her awake.

"What? Who died? Steve?" she whipped her head around trying to spot him which only made herself incredibly dizzy and she gripped the side of her head with one hand and the table in the other. Steve stood up so fast that he knocked the chair over and placed a hand on top of Tania's.

"Tania, darling, it's going to be okay. I'm here, everything is fine." He placed a hand on her cheek to reassure and pressed his forehead to hers.

She calmed down almost immediately. "Are you sure?"

He laughed once. "I'm sure."

"Then I believe you." She snaked her arms around his back and closed her eyes, burying her face into his neck. He held her close, closing his eyes as well.

Peggy jumped off the desk as quietly as she could, trying not to make any noise. The overwhelming disappointment and jealousy was written all over her face and she didn't want anyone to see it. So far so good, neither of them had yet to open their eyes.

At that moment, the door was thrown open. "FREEZE!" Everyone whirled around to face the intruder, hearts pounding.

There stood Howard, pointing the memory eraser at them like a gun. He was grinning widely. No one was amused. "Well then I guess you'll never hear what I have to say."

"That depends on what you have to say," Steve said.

"I have something to say about that Hydra guy you captured. He's awake," Howard stated while twirling the device with his fingers. He had gotten attached quite fast.

Steve's eyes widened and he pushed past Tony's dad to get to the interrogation room. Tania was quick to follow but Peggy remained behind. Howard noticed and placed the contraption on the desk.

"Hey you alright?" he slowly approached her.

She sucked in a breath. "Yes. Yes, I… I just need some air." She brushed past him and out the door, leaving Howard standing there speechless.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

Steve took the man's chair and leaned it back so that it tipped backwards dangerously. His feet barely touched the ground and it was that feeling of not knowing if he was going to fall that twisted his gut and sent fear driving up his spine.

"Are there more of you?" Steve asked as he leaned over him, casting his shadow about the man's face. "If so, where can I find them?"

The henchman spit in the Captain's face. Steve wiped it off with his hand and then rubbed his hand on the guy's shirt before shoving the chair back. It tipped over and the man fell with it, unable to catch himself because his arms and legs were tied. He grunted.

Watching from behind a tinted window, Tania, Colonel Phillips, Howard, and a couple other people stood. Because of Howard's helpful memory eraser ray, Colonel Phillips didn't remember Tania/Nancy at all – therefore her ban had been lifted unofficially. So there she stood, watching as Steve interrogated the man harshly, as Howard kept repeatedly asking if she was okay.

She nodded every few seconds just to go appease him but never strayed her gaze from the scene in front of her. Frustrated, Steve stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"He won't talk," he spat. He was wearing his disguise so that no one could recognize him, not to mention he was getting the beginnings of stubble along his jaw that drastically changed his entire appearance.

Tania rested a hand on his bicep and sent him a sympathetic glance. He avoided her eyes but didn't pull away. She was puzzled for sure, but now wasn't the time to talk about it. When they were alone later would be better.

"Alright Rookie, move aside. Let the professionals handle this." Colonel Phillips entered the interrogation chamber. Stania and Howard observed curiously as the Colonel righted the chair and began to talk to him from across the little table in the room. The walls were sound proof, so no one could hear what they were saying. They were all shocked when the soldier started talking. It didn't look anything like a confession, more like an insult paired with a sneer. Still, it was more than Steve had gotten.

When the Colonel exited the room some time later, he came empty handed. That was when Tania decided it was her turn to go in. Everyone was against it initially, but she managed to persuade them. "I was a part of the attack he helped organize. I could have died. I want my two cents with him."

She let Steve come in with her as a compromise as long as he promised not to interfere unless things went horribly, horribly wrong. So in she went. When the soldier saw her, he snorted.

"A woman? In interrogation? What are you doing here, sweetie? The stores are on the other side of town."

Steve ground his teeth and crossed his arms but didn't say anything. So NOW the man was talking? Steve wanted to sock him in the jaw more than anything.

Tania was almost as upset. She set her hands on her hips and glared at him, trying to imitate the "assassin's glare" she'd seen Natasha so in Malibu. It must have worked to some extent because the man shut up but he didn't look afraid. Tania pulled up the chair Colonel Phillips had been sitting in and plopped down in it.

"Alright listen here," she started. "My name's Nancy. What's yours?"

"None of your damn business."

"Well, None of your damn business, can I call you Guy? I'm just going to call you Guy."

"A girl with a sense of humour. Don't see a lotta that these days."

"So Guy," she said, completely ignoring him, "why did you decide to join Hydra?"

"For personal reasons."

"Like?"

"Like I wanted to."

"Because?"

"Because it was perfect."

"For what?"

"For me. You see where this is going, don't you? You ask questions, I give you answers that lead you in circles. I could do this all day."

"Could you? Could you really?"

"You wanna test that theory?"

"What I want, is to get answers from you. Like why your buddies didn't kill me on the spot when they saw me."

The guy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they wanted to rip your clothes off and save you for later."

Steve was seething in his little corner. He grabbed the window sill and crushed it into dust easily. The henchman eyed it warily. Tania noticed. She jutted her thumb over her shoulder towards him. "That's my husband, William. He lifts a lot of weights."

"You think that's going to intimidate me? An overly protective bear of a human being? I've seen the Red Skull. Nothing intimidates me anymore."

"Well death certainly doesn't' seem to intimidate you."

"Not in the least."

"That's what I thought. What about pain, Guy? Does that intimidate you?"

"You're not going to torture me."

"You're right, I'm not. But let's just say out of curiousity, I wanted to know."

"Then I would never tell you."

"Hm. Interesting."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Really? Nothing."

"Mmhm."

"I find that hard to believe."

"You probably should."

"And why is that?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because I said so."

"Do you know how frustrating that is?"

"Look who's talking."

The two glared at each other for some time, trying to make the other fold. Eventually, the man let up. "You're not half bad at this."

She shrugged. "Thanks. I try. But back to the point, you know Hydra is never going to win, right? They're all dead?"

"Do you even know why we're called Hydra?"

"After that monster from the myth where if you cut off one head, two more grow in its place."

"Exactly."

"So what you're saying is, there are more of you."

"Maybe. I wasn't expecting you to know of the myth."

"Well I do." The fact that one of her best friends was a Norse God didn't even have anything to do with it.

"Hmm."

"So you attacked Brooklyn to get back at Captain America right?"

"Interesting guess there, Nancy."

"It's a very plausible guess."

"That it is."

"So am I right?"

"You tell me."

"I think I am."

"Then so be it, you think you're right."

"No, I think you're wrong."

"How is that any different?"

"It just is."

"But you thinking I'm wrong is the same thing as thinking you're right."

"Not necessarily. In this specific situation, you and I are both right."

"What am I right about?"

"About Brooklyn."

"I suppose I am right."

"Aha!"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Seriously?"

This continued for several long minutes. The soldier tested Steve's patience many times but he never acted on his impulses. Tania's own patience was wearing thin, but one question at a time she was getting answers. She liked to think she was witty, but in this situation she called upon the famous Stark way with words as well as Clint and Natasha's interrogation techniques paired with Steve, Thor, and Bruce's intimidation techniques. She was basically calling upon the Avengers to help her in her time of need, whether or not any of them were aware of it.

After over an hour and a half of interrogation, Tania dismissed herself and left with Steve in tow. From that lengthy process, she managed to gain some information on all subjects.

1) She was most likely not killed because Hydra was looking for hostages as well as people to kill.

2) They attacked Brooklyn to get back at Steve for killing their leader.

3) There were more hidden Hydra members out there. Location and number are unknown.

4) Hydra's main goal is no longer to rule the world, but to cast revenge on Steve for trying to disband their "empire".

5) They brought in the tank by importing it in parts and then assembling it in a large barn somewhere. Said barn has been destroyed.

6) Guy knew this would be a suicide mission, therefore there's a bomb somewhere on his person set to go off within twenty-four hours.

When he told her that last one, he claimed he said it because he liked her and wanted her to survive. Steve rushed her out of there immediately and they informed everyone on the outside of the bomb. Howard and Colonel Phillips went in to see if he was telling the truth by trying to find it on him.

It was strapped to his chest beneath his clothes and if anyone so much as touched it, it would go off. Howard ordered that the man be thrown in the ocean immediately.

His orders were carried out and Guy was lifted and sent away, still tied to his chair. He seemed totally at ease with the thought of exploding soon enough. Tania was reeling back in shock. This man who she had talked to, interacted with, bantered against, was going to die. There wouldn't even be a body because it would explode and burn and sink into the ocean. She shuddered.

It was utter chaos at base as the man was "escorted" out. She had never even learned his name. Perhaps it was better that way – less attachment. It was still hard to grapple. She tried leaning on Steve for support and he was there but… not all there. It was like his mind was somewhere else, but where else could it be? Surely he didn't still feel guilty about her head wound, did he?

By the time Guy had left the facility, it was around the time that Howard usually went home. So the three of them walked along the beach behind the men who were swimming out towards the horizon in a submarine to abandon the man she had just spent almost two hours with. Her stomach twisted.

They were halfway home when an explosion rocked the Earth and they turned to see a fairly large tidal wave heading towards them. It died out before it could reach shore and Tania felt a large lump in her throat. That was HIM. He was dead now. She shivered.

She looked away and kept walking. It was a starry night with clear skies and a cool breeze. Steve and Tania were both pretty scraped up and Howard looked a little ruffled, but it wasn't like anyone noticed. The entire block was void of people, too scared to come back in fear of more Hydra soldiers coming to invade.

The trio didn't really have anywhere else to go and Howard's house wasn't damaged in the fight, so they opted to go back. They passed the car Tania had crashed and bonked her head as well as a few houses that had been burnt down and the several craters in the road where the tank had fired shots. It looked awful. It was pretty much a ghost town.

When they reached the house, Howard marched right inside, seemingly without a fear in the world. Steve made to follow him but a hand on his arm pulled him back. He turned slightly to face Tania.

"What?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Of course not! Why would you even ask?"

"Because you won't look me in the eyes for more than two seconds and you've barely spoken to me since I woke up. What happened?"

"Hydra happened."

"Besides that."

"Besides that?"

"Yeah, besides that. I can read you like a book, Steve. What's eating you? Are you having more of those dreams?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I… it's nothing."

"Obviously it's not nothing if I've noticed it."

"Look, just leave it alone, okay?"

"No. Not okay. I'm not going to drop it. Something is bothering you and you won't tell me what it is. Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I know you won't like it!" He blurted.

She blinked. "I won't… like it? What do you mean?"

"Nothing!"

"Steven Grant Rogers!"

He winced. "I thought only parents did that."

"And I thought that you would always be honest with me."

"I'm not lying to you!"

"Not telling the truth is the same thing as lying!"

"No it isn't!"

"Really, Steve? Really?"

"… okay fine, you're right."

"Thank you!"

"But I still don't want to tell you."

"It has something to do with Peggy, doesn't it?"

Steve stepped back in shock. "What?"

"I said, it has-"

"I know what you said but… why… what made you think that?"

"The fact that you don't want me to know. Am I right?"

"… you're not wrong."

"Then what is it?"

He sighed. There was no hiding from this girl. "We… almost… and I can't stress this enough, ALMOST… kissed."

Tania was silent. She didn't know what to say. Her boyfriend almost kissed the girl he'd loved before she came along while she was unconscious. That was almost harder to swallow that Guy's death. A feeling of gut-wrenching sadness took over and she felt tears prick her eyes but she forced them back for as long as she could hold them.

"That's… something."

"Are you mad?"

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm… upset."

"Look, Tania, I'm-"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry!" she shouted. Okay, maybe she was mad. "You can't just go around doing things you shouldn't be doing and then apologizing and expecting everything to be okay!" She was blowing up again, she was BLOWING UP AGAIN! NOT GOOD NOT GOOD!

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

"It doesn't seem like you tried to stop it!"

"I-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Tania spun on her heel and descended the porch steps again.

"Where are you going?!"

"Away from you!"

"Are you crazy?! It's ten o'clock at night after a Hydra attack! Where would you go?"

"Anywhere!"

"Tania, you're being ridiculous!"

"Maybe! But at least I KNOW that I'm being ridiculous!"

"It was an accident!"

"An accident that could happen again! If you want to choose Peggy over me, go ahead! I'm not going to stop you!"

"Tania-"

"But all this waiting is killing me! Would you just pick one of us already! Are you going to stay or are you going to go?"

"It's not that easy!"

"Yeah, well you just made up my mind for me!"

His blood ran cold. "W-what? What do you mean?"

"Like you even care! Go ask Peggy what she thinks about your little kiss why don't you?"

"We didn't kiss!"

"It doesn't matter! You were going to!"

"But I didn't!"

"That's irrelevant! You would know that if you knew anything about women!"

"I'm learning!"

"Well learn faster! I'm tired of being an option! I want to be IT. It want to be IT for you Steve. I want to be the one you spend the rest of your life with. I want you to be the one I spend the rest of my life with! But I can't do either of those if you don't hurry up and choose already!"

"These things take time! I'm more confused than you could ever know!"

"Maybe so! But if you want to test the waters of having another girlfriend, you could at least have the decency to ask me first!"

"You were unconscious!"

"Were we in the same room?" she asked, horrified. Steve began turning a bright red. That was all the answer she needed.

"UGH! How could you?!"

"I didn't DO anything!"

"LIAR!" She accused. Maybe it was the roller coaster of a day she'd had. Maybe it was the shock of seeing at least ten people die before her eyes. Maybe it was the shock that she had almost died at least twice. Maybe it was the betrayal she felt at the thought of Steve kissing his almost ex-girlfriend. Maybe it was the fact that Peggy deserved Steve just as much as she did, if not more. Maybe it was because Tania thought that "Steggy" was a more suitable match than "Stania" in both senses. Maybe she was just paranoid. Maybe it was all of the above. Whatever the reason, she felt angrier than she had in a long time.

Luckily, she was always one who could see logic through her haze of emotions and deduced that she couldn't just run off into the night. That would be idiotic and stupid. Still, she wanted more than anything to be apart from him right now. They had been spending nearly every moment together since they'd arrived over a week ago. She was going to go stir crazy with him. A blow up like this was bound to happen. At least, that's what she told herself.

She darted around him and into the house angrily, slamming the door in his face only to have him open it and come in after her. They did live in the same house after all, whether it was Howard's or Tony's didn't matter.

She slammed the door to her room as hard as she could. She was sure that Howard had heart the whole thing, but she couldn't bring herself to care at that moment. This was the biggest and worst fight she and Steve had ever had. They had been in the honey moon phase before they'd been sucked into the past, and now they were stuck in a love triangle that was putting strain on all of them.

Why did her life have to be so fucking complicated? She fell onto her bed and didn't get back up. She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it as loud as she could. Steve and Howard could probably still hear, but again, she didn't care.

She needed to get out of this house. She needed to get away from Steve. Resolve set, Tania ran over to the window and yanked it open. She wouldn't be gone long, just long enough to clear her head. She also wouldn't be going far, just for a walk on the beach. She'd be back.  
She climbed out the window.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N. Hey guys! Quick chapter here before my day becomes busy. Hope you guys enjoy! :D**

Chapter 27

The night was sky was clear and full of stars. She could see a lot more of them now that she wasn't in modern day New York City with too much light and skyscrapers blocking the way. Over to the right was a waxing moon. She stared at it she walked, carrying her shoes in her left hand, along the beach. The relished the feeling of cool sand squishing between her toes. She reached up behind her hair and pulled out the elastic that held her hair in a tight bun. It fell around her shoulders only to blown in her face by the breeze. She didn't care.

She walked parallel to the water, just far enough that the waves crashing onto the short didn't touch her feet. She would rinse them later when she was tired of the feeling of sand stuck to her skin.

Tears cascaded down her face as she mused to herself. The most prominent thought was that the image of her walking down the beach like this would make a great painting. Perhaps that was all she really needed to clear her head – art. But art never helped much with thinking, only for forgetting briefly.

She sighed. This feeling in her gut was like being stabbed with an arrow and then having it twisted over and over like a jack-in-the-box handle. The song that played over and over was the words she'd said to Steve in the fight. They echoed in her mind on a never ending loop and the more she heard it the faster the handle turned. She wondered when she would pop.

She walked for who knew how long, just thinking. Steve still had feelings for Peggy. That much was clear as day. But he had feelings for her too, of that she was positive. In the end, it would be an inner battle for Steve of who he loved more. Tania felt like his feelings for her were waning the longer he stayed in this time and she wanted nothing more to return to two-thousand-and-twelve with the man she loved. But if he wanted to stay, she would not stop him.

Off in the distance, the brunette spotted a shadow. It was more a silhouette, really. It looked like a rather large rock from afar, but the closer Tania became, the more she realized that it was actually a person curled up a ball and watching the coming in-and-out of the water along the beach.

As Tania approached, curious by nature, the figure turned its head to look at her and she gasped. It was Peggy. The Agent also had tears running down her face and had her arms wrapped around her legs.

Tania stopped in her tracks not three yards from the woman her boyfriend probably loved. She sucked in a breath. The two of them stared each other down in the darkness illuminated only by the reflections of the moon. The wind picked up again and swirled their hair around them. Eventually, Tania sat down beside her friend. They had grown closer than she thought two competitors for someone's heart could ever be. It was like there was no rivalry between them, only resignation and the pressure to put on Steve to choose.

"It seems we are more alike than I originally thought," she commented.

Peggy nodded. "In times of sadness, we both appear here."

"Maybe that is why Steve took a liking to me. Because he sees you."

Peggy turned her head to stare at Tania incredulously. "Are you kidding? All he ever sees is you. I've never seen someone so protective, jealous, and loving towards anyone than Steve is to you."

"When he's with me, all he seems to think about is you."

There was a soft silence as they both pondered the other's statements. "When we went dancing the other night," Peggy started, "and Steve and I were together, he looked away and abruptly left. I followed him. He asked you to dance out of jealousy for that Charles character. He had been watching you the whole time he was with me."

"He still has that pocket watch with your picture in it," Tania countered. It was like a competition to see who could find the most examples of when Steve loved the other person. It was absolutely absurd but neither stopped the other. "It never leaves his side. I think he's become so used to having you there that he doesn't even realize I've seen it or that you're someone he loves. It's just… there. It's a momento from his past that crashed with him in that plane."

"That is all I am to him. A memory."

"Not anymore. That kiss proves it."

Peggy whipped around to her. "How did you know about that?"

"Steve told me. We fought about it."

"Well… that explains the tears."

"And you? Why are you crying?"

"Practically the same reason. After the almost-kiss, you woke up and all of a sudden all his attention was on you. It was like I was a distraction while you were unavailable and as soon as you awoke, you were his whole world. It was jarring, to go from the center of his attention to not even being considered as a person in a room who's witness to him. I just… needed some air."

"Have you been here since that point?"

She nodded. "I know, it's been a long time. And yet my mind hasn't cleared like I hoped it would."

"Mine either."

"Do you know what happened with Hydra soldier?"

"I interrogated him. There are more where he came from, but he would not tell where or how many. He carried a bomb on his person so Howard ordered that he be thrown into the ocean. I don't suppose you saw the explosion."

"Yes, I did. I wondered what that was."

"It was him. Another thing, Hydra wants revenge."

"On Steve?"

"Yes. That's why they attacked Brooklyn, his hometown."

"Do you they know that he's alive?"

"Not as far as I know. But if they do, all hell is going to break loose."

"Why would they case revenge on someone they think is dead?"

"To make themselves feel better and to avenge the death of their leader."

"If they find out Steve is alive… and they know that one or both of us loves him… they will try and use us to their advantage."

Tania's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that."

"What's more is that if Hydra is able to hide for a long time, they may still exist in your present. If Steve goes back with you, you may still be in danger."

"This is exactly the kind of thing he warned me about before we started dating. I told him I didn't care, but now I think I see the foolishness of not thinking this through."

"Are you going to break up with him?"

"I don't think so. He's become the center of my universe despite my promise to myself back in college that I wouldn't let a man dominate my life. He means everything to me. That's why his happiness is so important. If he chooses you and he's happy with that, then I'm happy for him. But I don't think I'm going to stay. Whether he chooses to or not is not up to me, but I'm going home whether he likes it or not.

"If he stays, it will be because he loves you more. Therefore I should not stay to rival his affections with you. He knows people here, he's lived here, he's used to things here. I'm not. I belong in the future. That sounds weird but it's technically true. I have so many things that I've left behind and I don't want to worry my friends who have become my family. They mean too much to me to just abandon them.

"Then there's my job, which I love. I never tire of it and it's almost always in the back of my mind. My coworkers are fantastic and I love being organized and knowing exactly what I'm doing. Here, I'm… not in control. I don't know anything here. I'm useless.

"Not to mention that social paradigms are entirely different. Not necessarily in a bad way, just different. I miss home. I miss Graham and Tony and Clint and Bruce and Pepper and Natasha and Thor and even Jarvis! I miss the Tower, I miss New York City, I miss technology, I miss the familiarity, I miss EVERYTHING! And it's not like it's gone, it's just waiting for me to come back. The temptation is too great. I can't just ignore it. I'm going to go home."

After saying it out loud, Tania felt the jack-in-the-box pop open and the doll inside sprung out. It didn't come back. She felt somewhat better knowing that she would be going home. It was nice to be sure of something for a change. Whatever the outcome of Steve's decision, she would be returning to her loved ones back home. Home. It was so far away and yet so close. Howard's time machine could take her there in a second, but it wasn't even halfway built yet. She had to be patient. Time was the key to everything.

Time would fast forward the building process. Time got her here in the first place. Time would be the way to travel home. Time would heal the wounds of maybe leaving Steve behind. Time in the forties would be something she'd dearly miss but never return to. Time was so vital in her life now it was almost insane.

Peggy remained silent beside her, contemplating all that she had said. "I will miss you when you go," she confessed.

Tania looked to her, surprised. But then a small smile graced her features and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Me too. I'm going to miss Howard as well, but I'll always have a piece of him in Tony. Maybe I'll see you again in the future when you're old and gray. I hope you'll still remember me."

Peggy laughed quietly. "I look forward to it."

They stared at the water in silence. The mood had lightened slightly, but the tension was still thick in the misty air. "Do you think it's possible to love two people at once?" the Agent asked.

Tania mulled over the idea in her head. "Yes. It's the same with loving one person as a friend and another as a boyfriend. They are different forms of love but you love them all the same. I love Graham as my brother. I love Clint like brother. I love Pepper like a sister. I love Natasha like a close friend. I love Thor like a close friend. I love Tony like a best friend. I love Bruce like a best friend. I love Steve like… like my soul mate. Even if he isn't mine. I love them all in different ways and variations and they will each change over time, but the love will always be there. All at the same time."

"I suppose you're right. I wonder how Steve feels about us."

"You're not the only one. From my guesses, I would assume that Steve loves me like a girlfriend and loves you like the woman of his dreams he could never have – until now."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, that why wouldn't Steve pick you?"

"Because he loves you."

"He loves you too."

"Tania… you can't know that."

"But I do. I can tell. As I told him earlier, I can read him like a book. But that's probably because he's never tried to hide anything from me before that when he did, it was blatantly obvious."

"What did he try to hide?"

"The fact that the two of you almost kissed."

"Really? He lied to you?"

"Technically, yes. I never pinned him as dishonest."

"He's not."

"I know. That's why it hurts so much."

"Oh Tania…" Peggy wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "We will get through this together. I know that is probably the most ridiculous notion on the planet, but we will. We will continue rooting for each other and whomever he chooses will accept their fate with grace and poise because we are ladies and that is what we do."

Tania laughed. "I never imagined I'd be receiving comfort from the woman I'm jealous of."

"Neither did I, but it seems our tears have both stopped. I think I'm ready to return home now."

"Me too. I'll see you later."

"Yes. Good-bye." With one last squeeze, Peggy stood up and walked in the opposite direction of Howard's house and towards her own.  
With a sigh, Tania pushed herself to her feet and dusted herself off. She brushed the sand from her skirt and headed for the water, shoes in hand. She rinsed her feet in the shallow liquid before deciding to walk along the water until she reached the house.

It wasn't long before her toes hit something hard. She bent down to see what it was. She tenderly picked it up with delicate fingers and brushed the sand away. It was a piece of metal with jagged edges that had been soaked to the bone. The writing on one side was clear as day.

**SUBM**

** 06-1**

Tania paled. This was a piece of the submarine that had been sent to kill Guy in the ocean. She flipped it over to avoid having to look at the writing only to find more.

**REVENGE.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N. Hi! :D So how are my readers? Not too disappointed with the lack of update yesterday, I hope. But I would like to ask my reviewers to please refrain from posting reviews simply telling me to update. Especially if I only missed one day. I have a life and that life sometimes gets busy. I had to work an extra two and a half hours unexpectedly so i didn't have time yesterday. I apologize for the lateness but my deadline of "no longer than 2 weeks" is still there. Anyway, I kind of had writer's block for this one (another reason why it's late) but it ended up being pretty long. I hope you guys like it. It's pretty angsty though, just a warning. Hope you enjoy! :D**

Chapter 28

Tania awoke to an empty house. Both Steve and Howard had left, presumable to go back to base and work on the time machine. Steve had probably agreed to leave out of spite for her.

Her head throbbed. If only there was some sort of pain medication she could take. She began searching through the Stark cabinetry in the bathrooms and kitchens. Nothing. No pills or medicine that caused pain relief. She sighed. Maybe there was some sort of home remedy she could look up- or not. There's no internet. She supposed she could go to the library and look there, but that would take up a good hour just to walk there, search for the right book, search said book for the right remedy, walk back, collect ingredients for said remedy, use remedy, and then walk to base… maybe more.

She would just have to make do with some coffee. It felt weird to be having coffee alone. Usually she drank it with Steve or the other Avengers or even Howard. But now she was totally and completely by herself. There wasn't even anyone in town for fear of Hydra soldiers. No one was around for blocks… maybe even miles.

That thought sent a shiver up her spine and she hurriedly polished off the rest of her drink and then poured another cup at the last minute into a travel mug. She screwed on the lid and ran out the door, grabbing her hat. It was a rather windy day and her scarf kept whipping her face and her hat kept threatening to blow away. She had one hand on her head at all times as she scurried towards base. She had never walked there by herself.

You could say she was a bit on edge because of the recent attack, but that wasn't going to stop her from helping out with the time machine. With the four of them helping out, the month time frame Howard had given them was shortened to three weeks. It wasn't much longer before it would be done. Maybe two more weeks?

Tania reached the beach shack gratefully with the piece of submarine she'd found last night tucked neatly inside her purse. When the door swung closed behind her, she let go of her hat and rearranged her scarf accordingly.

She was dressed in a pencil skirt, white blouse, coral scarf, black flats, and a matching fascinator with a fishnet in front of one of her eyes. It was kind of impairing to her vision but she thought it looked cool and that was the style. She also wore a pair of white gloves as well as a coral and black purse.

She had to admit, she liked the nineteen-forties style of clothing, however she didn't think she'd ever get used to it or feel like herself while wearing it. Every night she'd get dressed in the pyjamas she wore when she time traveled to feel like she was back home.

She tipped her hat so that it sat on her head at an angle and told the old man the password. He let her in and she easily found Howard's office. When she entered, he and Steve were hard at work in the glass room already.

The time machine was about half done. Its height had definitely grown and the giant gear she remembered from before was now in its place. Straightening her shoulders, she pushed open the door and marched in.

"Good morning gentlemen," she greeted.

Steve whacked his head against the bottom of the time machine and crawled out from under it. "Oh, Tania. Hi."

"Hi."

"Hey there, T." Howard called. She winced. Tony called her that sometimes… when he wasn't calling her Piggy Bank.

"Hi Howard."

"You know what, I'm glad you're here." He pushed himself up from his kneeling position on the ground and used the wrench in his hands to aid in his hand gestures. "I need you to go out and get me a bunch of gear. No time to bunny, I've just had a brain child and I need you to get this stuff for me now before it dies. Please?"

He ushered her out the door before following her into the adjacent room. He grabbed a pencil and stuck it between his teeth while scrambling all over his desks for a piece of paper. He eventually found one, wrote down a bunch of stuff on it and tore it off. He handed it to her.

"Would you be a doll and fetch these for me? Pretty please?"

"Alright, if it'll help me get home."

"Thanks a bunch! I owe ya one!" He patted her on the back twice before hurrying back to the glass room and shutting the door behind him.  
Tania looked down at the list in her hands. She had no idea what any of it was. She shrugged and stuffed it in her purse. First thing's first. She had to show the piece of the submarine to Peggy. She debated about going back to Howard and Steve to ask about her but decided against it. She didn't want there to be more awkwardness with Steve and didn't want to distract Howard from his "brainchild"… whatever that was. And what did he mean by, "no time to bunny"? If only she had a translator. Usually that was Steve. She sighed. She'd make up with him later. Right now she had a duty to fulfill.

She glanced at the two men working in the other room before exiting the office. After leaving the hallway, she saw plenty of people milling around and suddenly wished she'd taken the memory eraser with her. She kept going forward, wondering who to ask.

Eventually she settled on a woman who looked to be in her early thirties with brown curly hair and glasses. She tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around with a friendly smile.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Agent Carter. Have you seen her?"

"She should be in her office."

"Um… I… haven't been there in a while. Would you mind pointing out where it please for me, please?"

The woman sent her a confused look but pointed to her left down another hallway. Tania thanked her and followed her direction. She walked down the corridor looking for Peggy's office. There were several doors and each one looked the same.

She supposed she'd have to try all of them. She sucked in a deep breath before raising her hand to knock on one of the doors.

"Tania?" she turned to see Peggy exiting the last door on the right with a pile of papers in her arms.

"Peggy!" she called, relieved. She jogged down the hallway to meet her and started rummaging through her purse. "I have something that might interest you. Aha! Found it." She removed the metal that she had wrapped in paper towels and unpeeled it.

Peggy's eyes widened and she took the piece from her hands. "Where did you find this?"

"It was washed up on the beach. I found it not long after we parted ways last night."

"This is one of our submarines."

"I know. It was the one Guy exploded inside."

"The Hydra soldier?"

"Yeah."

"He told you his name?"

"Er… no. I just kind of… started calling him that."

"That's dangerous. Naming things is how you get attached."

"I know, but it worked out in the end. Anyway, turn it over."

Peggy obeyed and gasped at the word REVENGE written on it. "This is impossible. He must have been restrained in that submarine. There's no way he could have written this. And how would he know that this specific piece would end up on the beach where someone would find it? It's too suspicious. We have to tell Colonel Phillips."

She grabbed her hand and yanked her down the hallway back where Tania had originally come from. "Does that mean… Guy, I mean, the soldier is alive?"

"It means something fishy is going on."

She pulled her down three different twisting hallways before she reached a large double door-ed entrance. She knocked seven times: one, pause, three, pause, one, pause, two.

"Come in."

Peggy let go of Tania's wrist and pushed open one of the doors with one hand seeing as the other was full of papers and a piece of metal. Tania rushed in after her. "Colonel," Peggy greeted with a nod.

"Agent Carter," he greeted as well, "Miss Nancy." He nodded to them both. "What can I do for you?"

"Look at this." Peggy placed the piece of the submarine on his desk. His eyes widened.

"Where did you find this?"

"On the beach, sir. It was washed ashore yesterday."

"I want three search teams out on the water within the hour. Tell them to scour the ocean for the remains of that ship. If they find him I want him back here dead or alive."

"Yes sir." Peggy saluted before turning and leaving with Tania close behind. The Agent marched down the hallways with an air of power and respect that she no doubt deserved. She didn't slow down. Tania sped up to keep up with her. "Thank you for showing it to me. You did the right thing."

"Thanks. Now I have to go. Howard needs me to run a few errands. I don't suppose you know where I could get any of this stuff, do you?" She brandished her 'grocery' list.

Peggy stared at it while walking. "You can get that at another one of our shacks on the beach. We're all in cahoots even if not all of them have secret military bases. You should be able to find everything you need from them."

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you later." She made to leave when she felt someone grab her elbow.

"Be careful. Hydra could be planning anything and I'm sure that no one wants to see you get hurt," she eyed the bandage that was discreetly covered by the fascinator, "again."

Tania readjusted her hat self-consciously and cleared her throat. "Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."

"Just in case…" Peggy reached behind her and under her jacket and emerged with a knife that folded in and out like a Swiss army knife. She popped it out in demonstration before putting it back in and handing it to Tania. "Here. I know you're probably not very comfortable using it, but know that you can."

"Oh… gosh, I don't want to stab anybody."

"No one does. But in self-defense, sometimes people have to."

She nodded. "Okay, I guess I can take it." She took the knife and made to put it in her purse but Peggy stopped her.

"You don't want to put in there. It's not exactly easily accessible."

"Well then… where do I put it?"

"In a shoe or pocket is best."

"Oh, alright. I think my skirt has a pocket." She found one by her right hip and hid the weapon inside of it. "I feel so… evil."

"Evil?"

"Maybe that's not the right word… but with this knife, the only attack I can do is stab someone. That can… can kill."

"Not if you stab a leg or an arm. There's a good chance they won't die that way but will hinder them enough for you to get away. Have you ever used a knife before?"

"I had a self-defense lesson with one once, with my friend Natasha that I told you about earlier. It wasn't much, basically some slashes at a dummy."

"Hm, well at least you're not completely inexperienced. But you might not even need to use it at all. Like I said, it's just in case."

"Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't be worrying this much. I'll just be on my way then. Good-bye."

"Bye."

After leaving Peggy at base to send out those search teams, Tania took the elevator back up to the beach shack and asked the old man if he had any of the things on Howard's list. Luckily she always kept some of Steve's money in her purse and was able to pay for the things the man did have, all the while keeping track of how much the Stark owed her. The man – who she learned had a name: Edward – then referred her to the next shack over to sell her some more things.

She spent most of the morning like that, traipsing from beach shack to beach shack searching for all these random parts and gears for the time machine that would send her home.

When she returned to base (with an armload of boxes towering higher than her head and an empty wallet), she pushed open the door with her back and wobbled inside.

"Guys? A little help?" she asked, praying that they were in the office and not the soundproof glass room.

She felt the pile of boxes tipping and she rushed forward to try and balance them when she felt someone catch them from the other side. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

The person removed the boxes with ease and deposited them on the table, revealing her helper to be Steve. She blushed – something she hardly ever did around him anymore. It was like they were back to skirting around the edges of their romantic tension buried beneath their friend zone. Except this time it wasn't hiding behind friendship, it was hiding behind a fight.

Howard was still hard at work on the time machine, leaving Steve and Tania alone in the office. It was incredibly awkward. He cleared his throat. "You're welcome."

"Um, Steve…"

Before she could say anything else, a man in a military uniform entered the room asking for Howard. Steve went to get him. When they returned, the soldier informed the four of them of the piece of submarine that had been found. Apparently the search teams had discovered that there were no traces of submarine or body or bomb anywhere. That meant that the ship most likely hadn't exploded and that Guy had survived, though it wasn't a given.

Steve and Howard had rushed out to speak to Colonel Phillips and Tania followed close behind alongside the soldier. He introduced himself as Sergeant Jean Walker.

Not thirty seconds later did they burst into the room where they kept all their tanks and submarines and planes. Colonel Phillips stood on a platform overlooking the place with six other men. He was in the middle of a discussion when Tania and the others ascended the stairs to reach them.

"With all due respect sir, we've done a thorough search of the waters near the Hydra explosion. There is nothing else we can do."

"With all due respect, soldier, I am your superior and you will do as I say. I am going to say this one more time. I want you all to search AGAIN. Expand the area of your search and keep looking. I want hints, clues, evidence, a body, SOMETHING. And you boys are going to find me that.

Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes Sir!" They saluted and stood up straight before rushing off to their respective submarines – two to a vehicle.

Steve pushed his glasses up higher in an imitation of Bruce and approached the Colonel. "Sir, I-"

"Save it Mr. Coulson. I don't want to hear any more bullshit today."

Mr. Coulson? Steve had created an alias based off his dead friend? That was incredibly sweet. Tania felt herself melting inside. She could never stay mad at him for long.

"Chester, buddy," Howard tried as the man himself brushed past the four of them and headed down the stairs. Jean stayed behind to oversee the launch of the submarines back into the water. It was a good thing they were on the beach, but that was probably the purpose of putting their base here. The trio followed behind the Colonel and headed towards the exit.

"Don't call me Chester. It's Colonel Phillips to you."

"Right, yeah, anyway, we just want to know the details of anything Hydra related."

"That's none of your business, Mr. Stark. If you need to know I'll tell you. And I haven't, therefore, you don't need to know."

"But-"

"NO BUTS!" He whirled on them. "I am not going to repeat myself. Good day." He shoved the doors open and left them standing there, speechless.

After a little while, Howard spoke up. "Well, I guess we'll have to find someone else who knows about it. What about Agent Carter, think she'll know?"

Steve glanced at Tania before returning his gaze to Howard. Even though Tania couldn't read his eyes from that one glance, it still hurt. "Yeah, probably."

"I know something," Tania admitted shyly. Neither of them heard her.

"Come on, I'll take you to her office."

"Alright."

"Guys!" They had already started walking away and hadn't heard her – again. She huffed in frustration before running in front of them.

"GUYS!" They stopped in their tracks to stare at her. "I know something."

They looked surprised. "How?" Howard asked.

"Well… last night, after… I came inside. I sort of… snuck out my window."

Steve sighed exasperatedly. He seemed annoyed with her. "Tania-"

She held up her index finger. "Don't even!" she glared at him. Okay, maybe she wasn't quite ready to make up yet. She was still angry at him. She turned to Howard and pretended that it was only him that was listening. "Anyway, after climbing out the window, I went for a walk on the beach. After… some… walking, I came across a piece of metal in the sand. It was a piece of the submarine that exploded yesterday." She watched as both of their eyes widened. "On one side, it read, 'REVENGE'. I gave it to Peggy this morning who, in turn, gave it to Colonel Phillips, who sent out that search team."

They stared at her, wide-eyed. However, they recovered quickly and Howard grabbed her shoulder in a friendly manner. "You did a darby job there, Miss Banks. But if you don't mind my asking, why did you climb out a window? Especially when there's a front door?"

"Did you not hear anything last night?"

"Oh no, I heard the whole thing. That doesn't eliminate my question of, 'why not use the door?' "

She started turning red. "Uh, well… I guess I didn't want Steve finding out and forcing me to stay."

"Why would he do that?" she looked up at him and stared into the Captain's blue eyes. He was somewhat straight-faced.

"He's kind of overprotective," she confessed. That sentence made the melting sequence that had started earlier continue and she felt her anger dissipating. He still cared about her. He still… loved her. Sure, he made a mistake. But if he apologized for it, they could make up. And maybe make out if she was lucky.

Sensing the tension, Howard removed his hand. "Right, well, I'll be unpacking the stuff Tania bought. When you come back I'll pay you the money." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away.

Tania stepped closer to Steve who hadn't moved since she held up a finger at him from before. She nodded her head in the direction of the elevator. "Let's go somewhere more private." She turned and started for the stairs that led to the elevator (which didn't make sense now that she thought about it… but oh well). She didn't look to see if he was following her.

Only when she reached the elevator did she spin and see that he was right there. The doors closed and they stood there awkwardly. She decided this was "alone" enough.

"Steve, I'm sorry I yelled at you," she apologized. "If I hurt you in any way, I'm truly, deeply sorry."

He shifted from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable. "I'm sorry too," he confessed, "I shouldn't have kept my actions from you. It was wrong and I'm sorry."

There was a pause. It wasn't any less awkward. "So… you don't regret almost kissing Peggy?"

Steve pursed his lips. "Tania, I'm going to be honest with you, like I should've been from the beginning. I don't-"

The doors chimed and opened. Edward stood there, black beady eyes watching them like a hawk. Oh great, now she was thinking about Clint. She pushed the thought away and walked into the shack at Steve's gesture of, "ladies first".

When they were on the beach, it was completely empty and silent except for the tiny waves crashing onto the shore. Neither of them spoke for a while. Tania eventually removed her shoes and waded into the water until she was ankle deep. She walked back and forth, waiting for Steve to continue. After a time, he did.

"Tania, I don't know if I regret almost kissing Peggy or not. I know that's not the answer you want to hear, but it's the truth."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I appreciate the honesty," she said. That was all she was going to say. She wasn't going to comment on how much that hurt or how much she wanted to smack him and kiss him at the same time. It seemed that he was wavering now more than ever. So far, he had been pretty loyal to her, but then his feelings for Peggy snuck up on him and he was slowly being eaten alive by the upcoming choice he was going to have to make. This couldn't be easy on him. Still, his love for Peggy was going to eat HER alive if he didn't choose already.

He kicked off his shoes and joined her in the water. He grabbed her hand. She didn't look up. He gently tipped her chin with the side of his index finger and his thumb so that she looked up at him. She was sad. So was he. "I love you," he reassured.

She sighed and leaned her head against his chest. "I know. But you love her too, don't you?"

"… in a way."

"I made my choice," she said.

He tightened his grip on her. "And?"

"I'm going home. No matter what happens, I'm using that time machine, and I'm going home."

He rubbed her back affectionately. "I don't want to leave you."

"But you don't want to leave her either. I'm not going to lie, I'm going to miss this time. I'm going to miss Howard and Peggy and the style and the funny way people talk. But it will never be home for me. This is like a vacation. A really, really emotional vacation. I suppose a get-away would be more appropriate."

"Probably."

They stood like that for several minutes as the breeze tugged at their hair and hats. Tania placed one hand on her head to keep it there, but Steve removed it all together and threw the accessory into the wind. She gaped. "What did you do that for?"

He caressed her cheek with one hand. Suddenly she didn't care about a stupid hat anymore. He leaned in close as his own hat flew away into the distance. "I couldn't see your face properly."

What immediately came to mind for Tania was a veil. If they were to ever get married, he would probably have to take her veil and lift it from her face before kissing her. She flushed bright red at the thought. The next thing that happened matched her daydream, except there was no priest telling him, "you may now kiss the bride". But they did kiss.

It was long and sweet and innocent and chaste… but they were both holding back. There was something missing. Something was off. Neither of them knew what it was, but it was… disappointing. The kiss was still enjoyable, but there was something in the way. Not physically of course, but it was like the spark had dulled. It was still there, but imagine that there was a glass wall between them that was slowly fogging up. That's what it felt like in her mind. A single tear slid down her cheek before falling into the ocean.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N. Hi everyone! So this was one wasn't AS hard to write as the last one, but as for the events that happen within it I can honestly say I've been making things up on the spot for a long while now. I don't REALLY know where I'm going with this, I mean, I know how I want it to end, but I don't know EXACTLY how I'm going to get there. I figured out a bit more of the details today tho :) I was also thinking about making a third addition to the Coffee With You series, review if you want a 3rd one! Another thing I was thinking about was renaming the sequel because honestly, Having Coffee With Steve Rogers doesn't even make much sense. Any ideas, guys? I'm interested in hearing them :) Enjoy this next segment of... HCWSR! XD**

Chapter 29

"So I was thinking that we could simply adjust one of the mechanisms with a simple twist of the wrench, and then with your sketch I can try to recreate the time machine within the exact millimetre of your design…" Howard was going on and on about the time machine. It was about half finished now. He and Tania were walking down a hallway at the military base on their way back to his office from Peggy's. Steve had remained behind in the glass room to continue working on the machine.

Meanwhile, Tania nodded and listened to Howard's ramblings, occasionally humming to confirm her understanding of what he was saying. As they passed Colonel Phillips' office, raised voices stopped them in their tracks and Tania held an arm in front of Howard to prevent him from going further. Together, they leaned their ears closer to the door and listened.

"How is that possible?" asked the Colonel.

"I don't know, Sir. They just disappeared. We lost all contact with them so suddenly."

"Did you try searching for them manually?"

"Yes Sir, but we didn't find them."

"When was the last time you tried to contact them?"

"Fifteen minutes ago, Sir."

"And they didn't answer?"

"Negative. All we received was static."

"What happened after you realized they were missing?"

"We were ordered to search for them. When we didn't find anything, we were told to return home."

"By who?"

"Sergeant Walker, Sir."

"Get him down here, now."

"Sir yes, Sir!"

Tania quickly shoved Howard forward before grabbing his arm to slow him down and pretend that the two of them were simply walking by just as the double doors opened and a soldier marched out. He nodded at them as he passed but otherwise didn't pay them much attention.

When he was out of earshot, Tania pulled Howard off to the side.

"What was that about?"

"Someone's missing. That's all I got."

"They said something about Sergeant Walker. He was the one overseeing the submarine search for the Hydra soldier, wasn't he? Maybe one of the subs lost contact with the others so the other two doubled back. Colonel Phillips did say to send out three search teams."

He looked confused. "When did he say that?"

"When Peggy and I went to talk to him about the clue that I found."

"Oh."

"So what should we do with this information?"

"Tell Steve, I guess. Even if 'William Coulson' isn't high enough in rank to know, Captain America definitely is."

She nodded in agreement. "You're right. Let's go."

The two of them walked back to Howard's office in relative silence but with the air of people who have something to get back to. They moved their legs just a little bit faster than usual, but not too fast so that they would be noticed.

When they reached the office, Howard went into the glass room to give Steve the news while Tania stayed behind. She and Steve had been on good terms since the day before, however they had been somewhat distant. They conversed civilly, but it was like there was a giant wedge between them. Unfortunately, that wedge's name was Peggy Carter. The Agent hadn't seen Steve since their almost-kiss and had been steadily avoiding him. Tania almost wished that Peggy would show up in the hopes that it would speed up the process of Steve's decision.

She began organizing Howard's office. One of the things she prided herself on was being organized. Yeah, her actual work place back at Avengers Tower was usually littered with papers and takeout containers, but it was only like that because everyone else contributed to the mess. Tania's bedroom was relatively neat. Even her dirty piles of laundry were sorted by colour so that she wouldn't have to sort them later. Her library was alphabetized and her folders and sketches and such were all organized in the orders she preferred.

As she started sorting the papers into piles, Steve and Howard came out of the testing room mid-conversation. "-by and do nothing, Howard. I have to do something," Steve was saying.

"Like what? This war with Hydra could go on for years!"

"I have to try! At least until the time machine is fixed."

"What are you going to do?" That brought him up short and he stopped just shy of the door to the hallway. He didn't turn. "They're not going to let you in on the council. You're just some random worker here. You're lucky no one's questioned your presence here. The both of you are. If you try and give your opinion on something big like this, they'll start asking questions like what rank you're at and what your job is. You can't exactly weave an intricate lie because there's no paperwork to prove it."

There was a silence as both Steve and Tania contemplated this fact. "Maybe… maybe it's time I come out as Captain America."

"No!" Tania shouted, knocking back her chair and almost tipping it over. "You could change the whole future!"

"It also might not change anything!"

"Are you willing to take that chance? Think about the Avengers! How could you're actions affect them?" Steve didn't answer. He didn't turn. "I remember there was a time when you told me that you sometimes questioned what would have happened if you had died in that plane crash. You gave me all these scenarios about what might have happened if you'd never woken up in two-thousand-and-twelve. But your biggest thing was that you never would have met me.

"Well think about your actions now. How are they going to change everything? Think about Clint and Natasha and Bruce and Thor and Tony and Pepper! Think about Director Fury and Agent Hill and Agent Coulson and Jane and Betty and Dr. Selvig and Loki and Happy and Graham and... and… um, Jarvis.

"They will ALL be affected by every decision you make. Please, please, PLEASE be careful, Steve. If you reveal yourself as Captain America, everything changes. At least wait until you've made your decision about whether or not you want to stay or go."

He paused in front of the door, thinking. He stood like that for a long time – that is, until the door swung open and whacked him in the face.  
"Oooooooh…" Tania and Howard chorused as Steve's head was thrown back and his nose made a sickening "crunch" sound. Peggy entered the room and gasped when she saw what had happened to Steve.

"Oh my… I am so sorry!"

He grunted and covered his nose with his hands. He looked at one of them; it was dripping with blood. He grimaced. "It's fine, Peggy. In a few hours it'll be good as new." He reset his nose with another "crack" and wiped the blood with the handkerchief Howard passed him.

"So Agent Carter, what brings you to my office on this fine day?" Howard asked; plopping himself down in the chair next to the one Tania had been sitting in.

"Well Mr. Stark, I have several more files for you to look through now that project Rebirth is no longer possible. The SSR is looking into new projects to test out and they want your opinion on them. Oh, and there's a Maria waiting for you upstairs."

Howard nearly fell off his chair in shock. "Maria?"

Peggy nodded, amused. "The one and only."

"I gotta go." He sped off like a rocket to meet this, 'Maria' who Tania could only assume would later become Tony's mom. She DEFINITELY didn't want to interfere with that.

With Howard's departure it was just the three of them. It was awkward beyond belief despite the fact that they were all mature enough not to create a scene. However, Peggy was avoiding Steve's gaze at all costs and Tania was fiddling with the papers again. The awkwardness threatened to swallow them whole.

Eventually, Steve cleared his throat. "Well, in answer to our previous conversation Tania, I'll wait until I've made a decision. It's probably the best course of action."

Tania smiled, relieved. At least now she knew that if he decided to stay behind and alter his future, she could go back (or rather forward) and be in a different parallel universe - HER universe - and be unaffected by his actions.

"Thanks. I know how hard this must be for you."

"It is."

It was at this point in time that Peggy decided to speak up, apparently having stood there long enough. "Well, my purpose has been served. I shall be on my way."

She was about to leave when Steve grabbed her elbow. Tania felt a jolt shock her and looked away. It was like it physically hurt to see him touch her now that she knew for certain that he had feelings for her. She focused on her organizing but couldn't stop her ears from listening to their conversation.

"Peggy, I think we need to talk about… it."

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Please?"

With a glance at Tania that couldn't be read, she sighed and followed him out the door where they could speak in private. Tania wished more than anything that she could hear them but she respected their privacy – even if she had to rip a couple of her own sketches to restrain herself from eavesdropping.

* * *

Outside in the hallway, Steve turned to Peggy. His nose was not bloody or crooked anymore, which was a good sign. "I think I need to know where we stand after… the… um…"

"The kiss that never happened?"

"Yeah. That."

"That's up to you."

"But I want your opinion. I want to know where you want to stand in this… relationship."

"Are we in a relationship?"

"What happened to friendship being a relationship?"

"Oh nothing. Go on."

"Where do you think we should go from here?"

"Steve… do you want my honest answer?"

"That's all I want."

"Then in truth… I think you should go with Tania to the future. I can tell you miss it and she loves you so much it's very hard to miss. However, what I think SHOULD happen and what I WANT to happen are two very different things in this case." She shifted and readjusted the clipboard in her arms uncomfortably. "I want with all my heart for you to stay here with me. I know that with time we could be happy together. I think… I think this could be our second chance. It could be your second chance at the life you never got to have. It's God's way of thanking you for your help with whatever happened in the future, but now that it's over, he's sent you back."

"Then why bring Tania into all of this? Why meet her at all?"

"You needed to get over your sadness until such a time that you could return to me. To your first home. And from what I've been told, it was her who located the time machine was it not? And you only found it because you followed her?"

"Well… yes."

"Then… I want you to stay here more than anything else. But if going back makes you happy then I am not going to stop you."

"Earlier, you said that you think I should go back to the future. Why?"

"Because you love Tania immensely and you shouldn't separate that kind of love. I've seen it between the two of you. It's so passionate that I don't think you and I could ever compare. That doesn't mean we couldn't be happy together, I just think that she would be your first choice. You have already accepted that you lost this home long ago, yes?"

"… yes."

"Then it shouldn't take too much to accept it again. But this time, you will get a proper good-bye."

"So… you think it will be easier for me to accept the fact that all of you are dead in the future… well, except you specifically… because I've been sent back in order to say good-bye?"

"Something like that. Now I've given my opinion, I want to hear your inner thoughts but I don't want to influence your decision. I am merely curious."

"Well… I am very, very torn."

"I can imagine."

"You're right, I do love Tania. So, so much. But I've come to realize something else… I love you too. You were…. Are… my first love and that will never change. But Tania… she's just so… I don't know how to describe it but I can't stand the thought of leaving her. But then there's you and I… I don't want to lose you a second time. The first time was painful enough. But then again, at least this time it will be on my own terms. But that's only if I decide to go. If I don't, then I'm pretty sure that Tania will not stay here with me. She hasn't explicitly said so, but it's almost a given.

"Disregarding my love for the two of you completely, there's Howard to think about. Not to mention everyone else I knew that I just… abandoned."

"You didn't abandon us, Steve."

He continued on as if he hadn't heard her. "I don't want to leave Howard again, especially since he's dead in the future. But then again, there's his son, Tony, who's infuriating beyond belief but when it comes down to it, he's willing to make the sacrifice play for the greater good. He lays down on the line when those he cares about are in danger and it's impossible not to see the Tony that's soft inside.

"Then there's his girlfriend, Pepper. She's the sweetest woman I have ever met and she's very powerful in the social hierarchy and she's like the unspoken caretaker for the entire team.

"There's also Bruce, the mild-mannered scientist who's very protective of his kin. He is definitely the most mature out of all of us and often the mediator when in human form. He and I agree on so many levels when it comes to keeping a clear head.

"Clint is the sharp shooter and definitely the most observant. He's also the jokester and the one to lighten the mood when Tony's not around. He and Tania are rather close and he's very determined and has a pretty good sense of right and wrong. I admire his ability to joke during times of depression in a non-insulting way, unlike Tony.

"His partner, Natasha, is the secretive assassin who scares everyone to death with her glares and threats but deep down she's just a girl who's not used to being cared for. But we care about her, and she in turn, cares about us.

"Thor is just this massive teddy bear who can be menacing if he wants to be, but truly he's joyful and powerful and sometimes arrogant but he's wise and naïve in terms of modern day technology, same as me. We've had many discussions together about how confused we are about how to use things like cell phones and microwaves and I-mail – or was it E-mail?" His brows furrowed in confusion. "But anyway, they're my new team and even though I often find myself comparing them to the Howling Commandos, I also find that they can't be compared."

"The… Avengers, was it?" he nodded in confirmation, so she continued. "They sound like very colourful characters."

He laughed once, but it was genuine and it felt strange to be happy for some reason. It was like he hadn't laughed in ages. "That's one way to put it."

"You miss them."

"… yeah, I do. It'd hard not to. But the hard part is trying to figure out who I missed more – my first team or my second."

"Maybe it's not so much about who you miss more, but about which one you feel you belong in."

"Maybe so. That doesn't make it any easier to decide."

"Perhaps not. Still… I hope you got off your chest all that you needed to say."

"I don't think so. But I think I've said enough for today."

"Alright, but if you ever want to talk again, know that I'm always here for you." She gripped his bicep in a friendly gesture before turning to leave.

She was halfway down the hall when he called, "Wait!"

She glanced at him over her shoulder and stopped. "Yes, Ca- I mean, Mr. Coulson?"

He shifted his weight from foot to foot anxiously. It seemed like he wanted to tell her something that he knew would upset someone, but then eventually seemed to think better of it and waved it away. "Never mind, I'll see you around." He walked into the office without another word. Puzzled but not so much so that she was curious enough to turn back, Peggy continued on her way back to her office.

* * *

Inside, Tania hastily wiped the tears away as she heard the doorknob turning. She sniffled once, sat up straight, and pretended she had never been crying at all. She smiled slightly at his entrance.

"Hey," she greeted.

He nodded at her in response. "Hey."

"So… what's up?" Okay, she didn't know why she just said that. It was probably the lamest thing she could ever say in that one moment but she'd said it and she couldn't exactly take it back. She blushed.

"Well… I would like to ask your permission on something." He pulled back the chair across from her on the other side of the desk and sat down on it. His face looked troubled and he stared down at the wooden table with seeming interest.

"Permission?" she asked. What could he possibly need to do that require her permission?

"Yes, permission to… well… 'test out the waters', as you so eloquently put it."

Tania paled. She remembered when she'd said that during their fight. She'd said something along the lines of, "If you want to test out the waters of a different relationship, at least have the decency to ask me first!" So he wanted to try out a relationship with Peggy.

Her heart constricted in the most painful way and she felt like she couldn't breathe. After ten seconds of trying, she finally managed to inhale and blink back as many tears as she could. She was so emotional today.

This was good, her mind told her, it would help him make a decision and the faster he makes a decision, the faster she can go home and either a) live happily ever after or b) move on quicker. Of course, option B was nowhere NEAR as appealing as option A, but life didn't always work out the way you wanted it to in the end.

"I… um… alright," she agreed before she could stop herself. What had she just done? Her mouth kept talking like it knew what she wanted to say more than her own brain and heart put together ever did. "But just… please be cognizant of my feelings. If you are going to… try out a life with… her… I would appreciate it if you stayed away from Howard's office and his house. I think that… seeing you… and her… t-together… might just break me."

"I'm sorry Tania, really I am. But I just… I need to know how it might have been for us. I really think this is the only way."

"And you think this will help with your decision?"

"Yes."

"You're sure?"

"… as much as I can be."

She sighed. It was so hard to keep so in control and put together. She briefly wondered how Bruce did it before returning her attention to the man she loved who was asking her if he could date someone else for a minimum temporary period of time. God help her. "I… give my consent. I… appreciate you coming to ask me first but I think… I think you should go."

He looked surprised. "Right now?"

"Yes, right now. Please." Her voice cracked and he swore that his heart did too. With his cracked heart now heavy with the guilt of causing her so much pain, he slowly stood.

"I love you," he said. He poured everything into those three words, hoping to convey the apology his blocked throat prevented him from saying.

She sobbed once and he took that as his cue to leave. With several looks back toward the woman he wasn't so sure was his girlfriend anymore, he finally exited, closing the door softly behind him.

As soon as he did, Tania bolted for the glass room and slammed the door behind her. She didn't care about the abandoned papers she had scattered across the floor in her haste to get there or the chair she had knocked over. She collapsed next to the time machine – her only hope – and cried. She clutched a piece of it with one shaky hand and held it as tightly as she could as she sobbed. Oh God, it hurt so much!

She sobbed and sniffled and cried and whined and mewled and screamed in agony. Her heart was breaking, and she wasn't so sure going home would fix it. Maybe Steve was her home. Maybe leaving him wasn't the right thing to do. But then she thought of being stuck in a world where she'd have to watch Steve be happy and in love with someone else for the rest of her life and completely vetoed the idea.

There was only one thing that could help her heal now – her family. She missed them so badly it almost encompassed her pain of losing Steve, even temporarily, to another woman.

She screamed again and halfway through it she somehow managed to register the door opening. She heard a faint gasp and some footsteps before someone's hands turned her over. She didn't fight it. She didn't care about anything anymore.

She understood the fact that someone was brushing the hair away from her face and realized that the hands felt distinctly male. Her fingers were pried off of whatever piece of the time machine she had been gripping one by one and her arm came to rest on her chest as she continued to cry, eyes squeezed shut.

She vaguely remembered being cradled in someone's lap with the man stroking her hair. She opened her eyes a smidge to look up at him. She only saw a blurry haze through her tears but she knew enough to know that it was Howard. It was someone she could trust. She closed her eyes and continued crying.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N. Hiii :) How are things? So here is ch.30. I originally had writer's block for this one too but then an idea hit me while I was brainstorming and I just went with it. It may seem kind of sudden but all action should be. Anything you don't understand shall be explained within this chapter and the next and if I missed anything, feel free to review or PM your question. There is also a poll regarding a 3rd installment of the series on my profile so go check that out please :) I've noticed that the number of reviews is getting closer and closer to 200. If we reach that goal, whoever is the 200th reviewer can ask me to write a oneshot within this universe of whatever they want as long as it makes sense and is not too similar to something that has happened. It doesn't have to be Steve/Tania centric either, just within this universe and I will write it. Sound cool? Good. Enjoy! :D**

Several days passed where Tania barely saw Steve at all. He didn't spend any time at Howard's office in order to avoid Tania and instead spent it with Peggy – or so Tania assumed. So the brunette ended up taking his place in helping Howard with the building of the time machine.  
The inventor had been against it at first but had eventually relented when she almost cried in desperation of wanting to go home. She felt like such a child, crying all the time and whining for what she wanted and asking for her family and "I wanna go home!" But who could blame her, really? Still, she berated herself and held it together if not for herself then for Howard's sake.

When they worked together every day it was relatively silent save for the tinkering of metals clashing together. He would tell her to pass some sort of tool every now and then and instruct her on how to insert certain things in specific places before locking them in place. She never spoke back.

She had become relatively mute in the past week. She didn't talk unless she absolutely had to and only ever made eye contact when she needed to. Her face was blank and she drained her life of emotion for the time being. She was like a walking zombie and honestly it was scaring the life out of Howard.

He wanted to talk to her and comfort her and help her, but he didn't know how. He had never been one to show affection very often which was one of the reasons he had been shocked when she told him that he would eventually have a son. Because of his lack of emotional skills, he too, remained rather quiet in Tania's company. Sometimes he mused to himself or to her without expecting an answer just to cut the silence. Other times they listened to the radio as they worked.

At night, the two of them would walk home without Steve, who would sneak in later to avoid them. In the mornings he would be off before they could see him and Tania and Howard drank coffee together. It wasn't the same as having coffee with Steve Rogers. Coffee was like their thing. The first time they'd met they'd gone to a coffee shop and discovered that they both took their coffee black.

Sometimes the two of them ran into each other at base. It was always extremely awkward and there was one time when Peggy was with him, arm in arm. When she spotted her she immediately let go, but it had already been seen.

Tania may as well have died for all the pain it caused her. Peggy looked extremely apologetic and like she wanted to say something but Tania just brushed past her and kept going. She couldn't even LOOK at Steve without breaking down… so she didn't. She kept her head held high and walked on by without shedding a single tear. She was proud of herself for remaining "strong", but knew that her tears were only delayed. They would return at full force when no one was around. Not even Howard.

Gosh, she felt like she was in high school again; walking the halls with books in her arms and watching as the hottest guy paraded around with his equally hot girlfriend while she herself was standing by her locker, alone, and lower in the social pyramid. That didn't hurt nearly as much as this did.

She shook her head of the flashback/vision and focused on what she was doing: twisting a part of the time machine into place per Howard's instructions. It was a stubborn screw but she forced it in with all her might. When she was done, she pulled back and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Great job!" Howard complimented. She nodded in thanks. He understood her silent meaning.

"You know, at the niftic rate we're going, I think this could be finished by tomorrow night."

Tania brightened like a star had just been switched on. "Really?!" It was the first word she'd said in a little while and it made Howard smile to hear her voice again.

"Really."

"Oh that's fan- that's dillinger!"

Howard laughed. "You can go home soon."

"I can go home…" she repeated, hardly able to believe it herself. "I can finally go home!" she tackled Howard to the ground and despite the fact that had both been kneeling, it still hurt when his back impacted the floor – but not enough to complain.

"Hold your horses there, Duchess. Even though the time machine might be built, that doesn't mean it'll work."

"It has to! It's a one way trip time machine, there's no way to test it. You left it like that after you built it and it worked in the future. So it has to work!" She was positively beaming and he didn't want to dampen her spirits with his unlikely percentages of it working so he just smiled back at her.

"What do you say to tomorrow evening, you and I will go out and do something, huh? Just the two of us to get your mind off things. You've barely left the base in weeks and I think you should get one last night to enjoy being here before you leave and never return. How does that sound?"

"That… that sounds darby."

He laughed again. "Does it feel weird when you use slang?"

"Oh absolutely."

"Then feel free not to."

"When am I going to get another chance to use nineteen-forties' lingo and not be made fun of?"

"You have a point there."

"I always have good points." She frowned. It was if a rain cloud had so suddenly appeared over her head and her face darkened. That was something she'd told Steve one time in their coffee shop. He'd then mumbled "Definitely good points…" and she blushed. She remembered it so vividly because that was the first time she really caught wind of the fact that he cared about her as more than just a random girl he'd run into on the street, but as a friend (at least).

She suppressed the tears and stood up, helping Howard to his feet as well. He dusted himself off. "Well, I think it's about time we take a lunch break. I'll go get lunch and be right back. You stay here in case anyone comes in and sees the time machine."

She nodded and he grabbed his coat and hat before departing, leaving her alone in the empty office to her thoughts. Not thirty seconds after he left did she see that he forgot his umbrella. She grabbed it and rushed after him.

* * *

Pulling up to shores of Brooklyn was a submarine. It was a military submarine to be exact, the one that had gone missing over a week before. The little underwater ship moved through the water gracefully towards the deep secret doors to the military base.

The door slowly rose, letting in all the water as well as the submarine as it moved forward. It slid closed behind the vehicle before draining the water completely. Only when there was barely a drop of water left did two men hop out dressed in their military uniforms. They carried their guns at their sides and looked left and right.

They then pushed the submarine into the bunker with all the other subs before choosing a very large one and pushing into the room for before so that it would be ready for departure later. It took quite some time, but they eventually managed it.

Once that was done, the two of them made their way to the door that led to the inside of the base. They shared a look and assumed their roles, marching down the halls with purpose. They didn't know where they were going but they were hit with a stroke of luck when they found what they were looking for.

Up ahead, Howard Stark walked casually through the main foyer among many others milling about. The two soldiers nodded at each other before speeding up their pace. As they made it to him, one of them threw his arm around Howard's shoulder and began turning him back the way they came.

"Uh, hey there fellas," Howard greeted, confused. "Mind telling me where we're going?"

The soldier whose arm was not around him answered. "You'll see."

Howard took a better look at the both of them. "Hey, you know I don't recognize either of you. Of course, this place is large, but I still feel bad for not knowing your names." He held out his hand feeling completely at east. "Howard Stark, at your service."

No one shook his hand. "We know."

Something didn't feel right. They turned a corner, oblivious to the brunette woman from the future following them at a leisurely pace with Howard's umbrella. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation and affect anyone else's lives. Besides, they were soldiers, they had to be trustworthy, right?

No more words were spoken as she followed them all the way to that large room where they kept all the forms of transportation she'd seen before. The two men lead Howard towards the bunker with the submarine they'd moved earlier. Before they could pass through the doors though, Howard stopped in his tracks.

"Alright now, I think I have a right to know why I'm here. So what's going on, do you want me to fix something for you because you could've just a-AHHHHHH!"

Tania watched in horror as one of the soldiers lifted Howard over his shoulder with a grunt and ran for the submarine. "HEY!" she yelled, dropping the umbrella and sprinting for the door as it swung closed. She banged her fist against it. "HOWARD!"

She thought she vaguely heard him yell, "Run!" through the thick metal doors but she couldn't be sure. She tried to pry them open but it was no use. She listened as the water filled the room and she looked around her surroundings for something that could help. She spotted another submarine and quickly ran over to it. She pushed and shoved with all her might but she was nowhere near as buff as any soldier and she was only one person.

She needed to find Steve so he could help her but there would be no time. There were no phones or comms and he might not be by any radio. She panicked. No matter what, she had to try.

She bolted out of the bunker and up the stairs. She shoved anyone in her way and sped for Peggy's office. She barged in without thinking to see Steve and Peggy chatting amicably on her desk. She was stabbed with pain for a second before she ignored it and spoke to them.

"Howard's been taken! We have to stop them!"

Both of them were on their feet with military-fast reflexes and following her through the hallways, not even bothering to close the door behind them. They ran all throughout the base until they reached the room again where Tania quickly enlisted their help to move two small submarines into the "garage" of the base. Each sub could only hold two people so Tania was by herself in one while Steve and Peggy were in the other. She told them all she knew by radio as the room filled up with water.

She couldn't believe she was really doing this. It had occurred to her that maybe she should've told someone with more authority, someone like Colonel Phillips, but she pushed it aside. Nothing she could do now. She started playing with the switches as Peggy taught the both of them how to drive the submarine via radio.

Soon, but not soon enough, the three of them were off in search of Howard. Peggy radioed back to base to contact Colonel Phillips for back-up as they sped off in search of their kidnapped friend. The Col. was obviously rather angry, but there was nothing he could do except send help until they got back and who knew how long that would take?

"So how do we find him?" Tania asked through the radio as she struggled to keep her ship in a straight line. It was nothing like driving a car back home.

"They couldn't have gone very far," Peggy assured, "but where would they take Howard? And why?"

"Maybe I can head up to surface and see if I see anything," Tania suggested.

"Good idea."

"So… how do I do that?"

Peggy quickly instructed how to do so and with shaky hands, she activated the ability to rise and the blue water in front of her eyes got lighter and lighter until she was just under the surface. She looked in the binocular-things in front of her eyes for vision above the water.

Nothing- oh wait! "I see something!" she exclaimed. Not far ahead, there were ripples in the water that could only come from something underneath the surface barely touching the air. Without hesitation, she sped forward, only to sink like a stone. She squeaked and slammed a random lever and pushed random buttons until she managed to go forward again. "That never happened…" she mumbled.

She located a black dot in the distance and managed to successfully speed towards it. Steve and Peggy's submarine followed close behind. When they reached the ship that contained their friend, they realized it was much bigger than the ones they were currently occupying.

"Woah…" Tania breathed. It was actually really long and rather wide. It might as well have been a train. Okay, it wasn't that long, but you get the point. "So how is this going to work?" she asked.

The radio crackled and Steve's voice came online… that probably wasn't the right terminology but she didn't care. "I'm going in."

"What? How?"

"There's a function on this submarine that can attach to another submarine's door and open both so that I can get in without water between us. I'm going to go in while the two of you stand by at the reins. Because our submarine won't carry Howard, we'll have to put him in yours, Tania, okay? After I go in, wait one minute and then join your sub with theirs. Peggy will teach you how. Is everything clear?"

Tania felt her heart constrict again at hearing Steve's voice, even though it was through a crackly radio. He was in Captain America mode, which basically meant that he became the unspoken leader of all things and was the one that everything fell upon. He was on duty. It was sort of unfortunate that Tania found this mode to be incredibly attractive. She swallowed down her feelings for him long enough to say, "Clear. Be careful."

There was a pause. "I will," he said. There was something in the way he said it that confused Tania. It was the exact same tone he used when he was confessing something to her, but he wasn't confessing anything now. Before she could think about it further, she saw through the window that Steve and Peggy's submarine had attached itself to the one Howard was in.

She started counting down from sixty.

* * *

Steve sneaked aboard the large sub, praying that the driver wouldn't see Tania or Peggy and attack them. He looked around. He seemed to be in a cargo room of some sort. He was alone. He tip-toed around boxes and crates until he managed to find a door. He had no weapon on him and he found himself missing his shield terribly and wished he had it with him. That was when he realized that it was in the future and unless he wanted to dig it out from the ice, he would never see it again if he stayed. It wasn't as big a factor as some of the other reasons for leaving, but it was a factor none the less.

He slowly turned the knob and peaked out the door. Empty. He entered the room. This one seemed to be a break room of some sort. The only things in the room were benches, tables, and chairs.

He went from room to room for quite a long time before he came to a room where he heard voices. They didn't come from inside the chamber, but rather, from the one next door. He pressed his hear against the wall and used his super serum hearing to listen in on the conversation.

"I'm not going to ask again!" said an unfamiliar voice.

"I told you! I haven't found anything related to Captain America!" Steve blanched. That was Howard.

"You lie! We know you found something. Why else would you just suddenly stop personally investigating the search for your friend?" Steve could practically hear the sneer in his voice at the word, "friend".

"I… I was wasting my life looking for him. I had to stop before I became obsessed with it."

"Oh really? Tell me Mr. Stark, what did you find?"

"I didn't find anything!" Howard sounded exasperated. That was better than scared at least. He didn't sound hurt either. He was just being interrogated.

"You had to have found something!"

"How many times have we been over this?! I did not find him in the ocean!"

"What about the Tesseract? Did you find that?"

Steve's heart rate sped up. He'd read Howard's file enough in the future to know that Howard had found the cube. He'd need to be able to lie really well to get out of this one.

"Of course not! Don't you think you Hydra imposters would know by now if we had the Tesseract?"

_Hydra!_ Steve thought furiously. Of course it would be them. Who else would it be? They must have managed to sneak into the base posing as the missing soldiers they'd kidnapped the week before in order to kidnap Howard to try and get to Steve. He felt his knuckles burn with the ache to punch the guy in the jaw so hard that it blew him ten feet away. He couldn't wait any longer. He knew what he needed to know.

He pulled away from the wall and kicked the door across the interrogation room as hard as he could. It rammed into the wall on the other side of the chamber and bent in half. Steve rolled in (just in case the interrogator had a gun, he would shoot for the torso) and looked up, taking a split second to take in his surroundings.

Howard sat with his hands tied behind a chair staring at him with his mouth open and eyes wide. The interrogator stood with his arms crossed two feet in front of the genius and also stared at Steve open-mouthed. That was all that the Captain needed to know.

With a cry, he tackled the Hydra follower to the ground. With the upper hand, Steve punched the man in the jaw with his right hand, then his left. He alternated like this until his opponent moved his head so that Steve missed and then grabbed his arm forcefully. He used his legs to kick and push at the super soldier and managed to flip him over his head.

Using this, he pushed himself to his feet and took out his gun before pointing it at Steve's head. Terrified for his friend's life, Howard lashed out and kicked the man in the shins as hard as he could. He whirled on his prisoner with fire in his eyes. Before he could do anything drastic, Steve had his hands around the man's throat and slammed into the wall.

Howard lifted his hands and stood up, thankful not to be tied to the chair but rather on the chair. He knocked it over just because he could and made his way to where Steve had his attacker pinned against the wall. The Captain knocked the gun out of his hands and placed it against the Hydra soldier's forehead.

That was when the man's eyes widened, but not because of the gun. Steve wasn't wearing his disguise. Despite not wearing his costume, the man put two and two together and gasped.

"Y-you're C-Captain Amer-rica," he spluttered. Steve gripped the man's throat tighter and pulled the trigger. The man fell dead at his feet.

"I had to," Steve whispered. Howard thought it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than him. "He would have told the others and everything would have changed."

Howard nodded along. "Right. Thanks, by the way. Mind taking these ropes off? They kind of hurt." He turned so his back was to Steve and he began working on the knots around his wrists.

"So… how's the thing with Peggy going?"

Steve stilled for a brief second before resuming his actions. "Fine."

"That's it? Fine?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"How can you not know? It's been like a week!"

"I just don't, okay!" he snapped.

"Alright, sheesh!" Howard held up his hands in defense now that they were free. "Just asking."

Steve eyed him suspiciously. "You seem relatively calm for someone who was just captured by Hydra soldiers and interrogated and then watched as your friend shot a man in the head in front of your eyes."

Howard shrugged this time. "I have to keep my cool on the outside or else disgrace the family name of Stark."

"Hm…" Steve couldn't help but think about Tony. He probably had the same philosophy, which would explain some of his actions during the whole Chitauri incident.

"Are we getting out of here or what?"

"Oh right. Follow me." Steve was about to exit from the doorway he'd entered from the other one opened and bullets rained on them. "RUN!"

The two men ran for their lives as they backtracked through Steve's path from the submarine, occasionally stopping to hide behind furniture so that Steve could shoot back. When they heard an anguished cry after Steve started shooting at him, the two of them took that as their cue to run again. They came to the room Steve had entered from which now had two submarines attached to it – one on each side. He shoved Howard towards the one on the right.

"GO!" he shouted.

Howard complied and ran in. Tania closed the doors and pulled away from the sub as best she could. "Howard!" she cried in relief.

"Good to see ya, T." He placed a hand on the shoulder of her chair. "Mind if I take over from here?"

She looked startled. "Oh! Yes, of course!" She immediately complied and they switched placed so that she sat in back and he was in front. He seemed to know what he was doing and the ride was smooth.

"This is Agent Carter, does anybody copy?" The radio crackled.

Howard answered, "Good afternoon, Agent Carter, this is Mr. Stark."

"Howard!"

"Good to hear from you, Peg."

"I'm so glad you're alright."

"Thank you. It's nice to be worried about."

"Not for the ones worrying."

"Hm. Point taken."

While he and Peggy talked, Tania craned her neck to see if she could spot Steve's submarine behind them. Instead, what she saw made her heart race. The Hydra controlled submarine was turning around to come after them. She leaned in front and cut Howard off mid-sentence.

"Hydra is not down! Repeat, Hydra is not down!"

There was a very brief pause as Steve and Peggy presumable checked the sub as well. "Go! Go! Go!" Steve ordered.

"Roger that, Rogers." Howard obeyed and activated something that made them speed forward. Tania held on tight to whatever she could find. She looked back. The sub was gaining on them. That's when she saw two missiles appear from the bottom of the vehicle. She gasped.

"Incoming!"

Howard swerved just in time to avoid being hit with the rocket that zoomed past them on their left. The other one narrowly avoided colliding with Steve's as well. "Is everyone okay?" he asked.

"Just peachy," she replied sarcastically. She would give anything to be in his arms right now. She wanted to feel safe, not scared. Anyone who knew her knew she loathed fear. It was the absolute worst feeling in the world and now she was feeling it in truckloads. She always felt safer and calmer in Steve's arms, especially since that morning with Steve when she'd climbed the tree and almost fallen but he'd caught her, promising that she'd always be safe there. It seemed like so long ago. Oh how she wanted it now.

Another missile sailed by, rocking the submarine enough to almost send them upside down. Tania screamed. She had never been one for roller coasters.

"I got it! I got it!" Howard tried to reassure her as he struggled to steer the submarine correctly.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Steve ordered loudly.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Howard flipped the submarine over and over and over again to dodge another incoming projectile. Tania felt sick to her stomach. When her vision stood somewhat still, she spotted Steve and Peggy's sub ahead and above them. She also saw the blinking red projectile floating towards them.

"Steve! Peggy! MOVE!"

Their ship sped forward just as the thing exploded, sending waves in everyone's direction. Tania's submarine rocked again she clutched her stomach uselessly. At least she hadn't had lunch yet.

"We gotta figure out a way to lose this guy!" Howard yelled into the radio.

"You're tellin' me," Peggy responded.

"Peggy, do these subs have projectiles?" Steve asked.

"Little ones that explode on impact."

"Are they heat-seeking?"

"No."

"Good. On my mark, fire."

"Fire where?" Howard questioned.

"Just do it!"

"Was that the cue?"

"No!"

The large enemy sub (despite being an American military vehicle) floated above them, creating an ominous shadow that shrouded them in darkness as they looked up. It loved over them dangerously and Tania gulped, remembering how she had accidentally made her sub sink like a stone. If that one did what she did, they'd be toast.

The three of them approached the door to the bunker hidden within the walls of rock beneath the Brooklyn beach. It wasn't far now. "FIRE!"  
Howard released his missile and sent it flying towards the door. Tania's heart rate felt impossibly high as she watched the two projectiles hit the rocks above them and come crashing down. They reached the door and both entered at the same time. The sub behind them was hit by falling rocks and debris as the door closed and the water started to drain.

When everyone had exited their respective submarines, Tania threw her arms around Howard's neck in a hug. He rested his hands on her waist and laughed. "Missed me, huh? I wasn't even gone all that long!"

"Shut up," she muttered into his shoulder. He laughed again and the two pulled apart. "You scared me half to death! I thought the future was changed indefinitely and that I might never see you again!"

"Well you thought wrong."

She slapped his arm. "That's for scaring me you big oaf!"

"Hey!"

Steve watched with a frown. He was glad Howard was alright and that he had managed to save his friend but the interactions between him and Tania were more than he expected to see. He wasn't stupid, it was clear that the two of them were just friends, however it still hurt that she had become close to someone else in his absence. If he chose to stay behind, would that not have the same effect and she would become close to someone after him? He hadn't given much thought to her having a… a… boyfriend… after him. His frown deepened. Oh great, something else to influence his decision, he thought sarcastically.

Just then, Colonel Phillips and about a dozen soldiers in uniform entered the bunker. He looked furious.

"Carter! Stark! Coulson! Rushman!" Yes, she borrowed that name from Natasha. "Get your asses over here right now!"


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N. hi guys! Sorry this one is so late in the day, I spent a good majority of it making my desktop look like a makeshift JARVIS interface so that it's like I'm wearing the Iron Man mask and flying towards Stark Tower. I'm also trying to use voice recognition and recordings to have "JARVIS" say things like, "Of course Miss..." when I tell him to do things like activate Chrome :D It's so awesome! It's not finished yet and I think my microphone is sucker than those at an elementary school talent show but I'm trying xP So my desktop looks awesome now and it's interactive and I'll work more on the voice (who's not British nor actually JARVIS D':) tomorrow. You can find tutorials for that kind of thing on Youtube, there's quite a few :) On another note, here's a chapter where we get to see a LOT of what goes on Steve's head about his decision which you won't get to see very often but will definitely see more of next chapter. This story is drawing to a close soon... a lot sooner than I thought too. I think I kind of lost my way with this story but just kept writing for the sake of writing. Hope it's not too bad... Also, all positive votes on my poll, nice :) Remember what I said about the 200th reviewer! Even if it's a Guest review it still counts :) I'll communicate with you/them via Author's Notes :P Okay, my rambling is over. Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 31

The four of them stood in a horizontal line in the Colonel's office as he paced back and forth in front of them, fuming mad. There were two soldiers who stood guard at the doors. They probably weren't there to prevent escape, more to intimidate them.

Peggy seemed a little unhappy but seemed to be handling the verbal beating rather well. Her shoulders were back and her head was high but her face showed that tiny flicker of regret, just enough for the Colonel to give her sympathy and respect at the same time.

Steve didn't appear affected at all by the rant. He was staring at the man in front of him hard, but to Tania it was obvious that his mind was somewhere else completely. Still, he stood at attention just like a soldier would.

Howard seemed completely at ease, fidgeting with every little thing here and there and not listening as he interrupted at random times to ask the weirdest and most random questions. When he did that, Peggy and Tania and even the soldiers behind them had a very hard time not at least cracking a smile. This only further angered Colonel Phillips.

Tania herself thought she was faring rather well. She didn't believe in what he was saying. She would have gone to save Howard even if it had been specifically against his orders. He could not seriously expect her to sit around and do nothing while he floundered for a plan? She remained impassive (on the outside) and snapped back witty remarks in her head, imagining that she had the memory eraser gun-thing with her so that she could shoot him in the head with it. She could totally relate to Howard with that feeling now.

"It is wrong to take action without orders from your superiors! You were supposed to wait for my commands and telling me about it after you left does not count! When the first world war was going on…" he continued to go on and on about how it was irresponsible and dangerous and how they could have all gotten themselves killed. Did he think that they didn't know that already? They didn't need to be lectured on it.  
Steve felt like a little kid again being scolded by one of the caretakers at his orphanage so long ago. It hadn't happened often, but when it did, his guilt always ate him from the inside out. That wasn't the case this time around.

His thoughts began to drift. He wondered about Hydra and if that thief and kidnapper had managed to survive those falling rocks. He hoped not. Either way, the driver's companions were still out there and actively going after people like Howard, people he knew.

Of course, being from the future and having read everyone's files, Steve was certain that none of them would be captured or killed by Hydra. However, if Steve went forward with his life with Tania and the Avengers, he would be completely abandoning his promise to take down the followers of Schmidt.

Then again, hadn't he read somewhere that Hydra was still alive in the future? He remembered seeing a flicker of something on a screen of some sort while on the helicarrier during Loki's invasion when he was talking to Bruce and Tony in one of the labs about Hydra's cult, but he didn't get much more than a glance. If Hydra could survive that long, then he could defeat them in the future, no?

But if he stayed, he could defeat them so much earlier. Of course, that wasn't a guarantee… GAH! Why did everything have to be so… uncertain? It was like everything he looked at or touched could change forms no matter what he did. It was like trying to touch a rainbow: impossibly frustrating.

Hydra needed to be taken down. Steve had been horribly mistaken if he thought that just because Schmidt was no more that his henchmen would just disband and not retaliate in some way. Of course, he hadn't had much time to think about that before he… you know, "died". And when he woke up it had been about seventy years later, surely they had died out by then?

He remembered trying to catch up on world history during the month before he met Tania and reading a textbook Bruce had lent him. It spoke of how there were still people who supported Hitler and the Nazis around today, though they were few and far between. Maybe Hydra was like that? Scattered and diminished but not vanquished. It that were true, then he could basically eliminate Hydra completely as a factor for which he would stay.

It would be pointless to stay simply to defeat Hydra when he knew that they would survive. But what if they survived because he hadn't been there? Steve felt like pulling his hair out in frustration. He felt like he was carrying the Hulk on his back from all the stress this decision he would have to make was weighing on him. He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"And Lord knows what could've happened to Stark had you all failed. Do you know how many consequences that would have occurred? Not only that…" as Colonel Phillips continued his not-so-little spiel, Steve couldn't help but tune in and out. He knew it was disrespectful to ignore and disobey his superior (which he technically wasn't, considering he was Captain America, not some William Coulson no one knew) but he couldn't help it. Everything that was being said made him want to roll his eyes. Sometimes doing what's right overshadowed the need to obey authority. Did the Colonel remember nothing of the time he'd gone and saved hundreds of men from the one-oh-seventh by himself of his own accord? If Chester had had his way then Bucky might not have lived as long as he did.

Eventually, after thinking about Hydra some more, Steve decided that they really weren't important. He knew from books that Hydra never did anything serious (even the SSR and SHIELD put together couldn't stop something big from getting out to the public). The Howling Commandos and everyone else could get along fine without him.

That wasn't to say that he was leaving… officially. He still had a choice to make. This just managed to make it slightly easier. Although even if he stayed he wondered if he'd be able to fight as Captain America. His shield was lost in the ice somewhere and so was his suit. Howard could technically make him another one but his shield could never be replaced. He held back a sigh.

If the parallel universe theory was true, from what he understood, once Tania went home he could alter this universe all he wanted and Tania would not be affected. She would be in another universe. Of course, there would be a Tania in his universe, but it wouldn't be the same Tania as the one he'd left… he thought. Time travel was probably the most confusing concept Steve had ever faced and he was sure that not even Howard and Tony combined could understand it completely.

So if he stayed, he would fight against Hydra as Captain America sans shield but alongside Peggy and the Commandos. If he left, he would be fighting global and crazy threats alongside the Avengers with his shield and Tania but sans Peggy and Howard and them. It seemed fair on each side except for his shield, which was in the future. Could that really tip the scale though? The fact that he missed his shield? That made him sound incredibly shallow but he had grown pretty attached to it. It was the most reliable thing he had and was one of the only things he had to remember people like Howard. Not to mention that it came in very handy in hand to hand combat as well as long distance combat.

But still… he wouldn't go back to the future just for his shield, would he? No of course not. There would be so much more than that. He could live without his shield if he chose Peggy although it was a considerable downside, he decided. Both gals were worth the sacrifice, even if he didn't even need to make a sacrifice for one of them.

He'd eliminated several factors of his decision in the days gone by since he knew he had the option to go back. The time machine was a one-way trip ("a glitch that I'm sure my son will fix when he gets around to it," Howard had said) unless he found another one. Now the only things left on his plate were Tania and Peggy. How to choose?

Not a moment too soon, Howard interrupted his thoughts while addressing the Colonel. "With all due respect Sir," he started, "they saved my life and I'm grateful for it not matter what protocols or rules they broke to do. How long do you think it would have taken you to come and get me had they not come? Would you have even come at all?"

"We'd have tried-"

"That's exactly it! You would have tried. These guys," he gestured to his trio of friends, "actually did it. With my help, I admit, as T- er, Nancy can't drive a submarine for her life. But still. I don't think they should be punished. In fact, now that I think about it, why am I here? Why am I getting lectured when I was the one captured?"

The Colonel didn't appear to have an answer for him. Instead, he turned to the others. He pointed to Peggy. "Unfortunately, you're too high up to be fired by me. However, this will not go unpunished."

"Understood." She nodded, face blank.

He turned to Tania and Steve. "Now you two… what are your jobs again?"

Tania was caught off guard. She exchanged a wary look with Steve before summoning up her improvisational skills from her high school's one year only drama club as well as her career as a business women and sucked in a deep breath. She was ready to lie her face off when Howard jumped in. She deflated like a balloon but was relieved none the less.

"They're my assistants."

"Oh good," the Colonel replied, "You're both fired."

"What?" Tania gasped. She had never been fired before. It stung; even though she didn't actually work there. You'd think that would make it somewhat better. It didn't.

"Hey what's that over there!" Howard pointed at the door. Everyone turned to look, even the two soldiers, as the inventor whipped out the memory eraser and zapped the Colonel with it.

When everyone turned back to glance at the genius warily at having seen nothing, they noticed that the Colonel looked a little disoriented. Tania, who immediately connected the dots as to what happened from the smug look on Howard's face, stepped forward.

"Sir, I think you should sit down. You look a little woozy."

He looked up at her. Recognition flickered in his eyes and he gazed around the room. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Uh, yeah. Sure." He sat down in his office chair and rubbed his temples.

"Well, we'll just be going then. Thank you for your lesson, Colonel." Peggy had obviously caught on as well and tugged on Steve's arm to lead him away before anything happened. Steve (who had hastily slipped on Howard's hat in the submarine bunker before getting too close to the Colonel) tipped said hat and followed her out. Howard went next with a mock salute with Tania on his heels.

When they were out of earshot and well on their way to Howard's office (their unspoken place of meeting), the four of them burst out laughing. "Howard, I can't believe you did that!" Peggy scolded with a smile on her face.

"Why not? I'm a Stark, aren't? We're known to be unpredictable."

"Oh you have no idea," Tania muttered through her giggles, thinking about the time Tony had basically kidnapped his entire team with Iron Man suits. She hadn't laughed like this in a long time. It felt good.

"You know, I kind of feel bad for the guy. I mean, how many times am I going to have to use this thing on him before he gets the message that he barges in too much?"

"How is he supposed to learn if you could erasing his memory!" Tania countered, still laughing.

He shrugged. "Muscle memory. Maybe if I use it enough times, whenever he comes by my door he'll stop and think, 'I shouldn't go in there… something bad is about to happen.'"

Tania laughed harder. She didn't really see what was so funny, she just wanted to keep a hold of this feeling and never let it go. Maybe it was the fact that she could go home soon that had her in a better mood. That would explain why she was talking so much too. Maybe healing from Steve was possible… but then she looked over at him and felt her heart flutter.

Okay, it probably wasn't that easy. Even so, she felt like it was possible. She felt on top of the world in this moment. She hoped it lasted until her departure but she knew that wouldn't be true. Especially not if she were leaving without Steve…

The four of them entered the office and made themselves comfortable. Ironically, that's when the laughter died down and things got uncomfortable. No one knew what to say and Peggy and Steve were keeping a respectable distance from each other for Tania's sake. Or at least, that's what they assumed was the reason. Tania didn't dare hope that they weren't touching by choice. That was too much hope.  
Howard coughed. "So, I have news." This caught everyone's attention even if Tania was pretty sure she knew what the news was. "I think I'm in love."

Okay, WOAH. Hold up! That was NOT what she'd been expecting. Her jaw dropped and she was so shocked that she didn't see Steve's eyes flicker over to her for a brief second.

"Wait, let me guess…" Peggy suggested with a smirk on her face. "Maria, right?"

Howard grinned and nodded. Steve visibly relaxed. That made sense. She was Tony's mom. Of course Howard wouldn't fall for anyone else. He'd just said to himself earlier that Mr. Stark and Tania weren't anything more than friends, so why doubt himself now?

He could still admit to being jealous over any guy Tania fancied, he did love her after all, but what did that say about his relationship with Peggy? He'd imagined her many times with other men after he woke from his frozen state. It hadn't bothered him much as long as she was happy. But whenever he thought about Tania dating someone else, kissing someone else, loving someone else… his blood boiled and he clenched his fists. NOT NOW, he scolded himself and quickly relaxed. Tania, of all people, was the only one to notice his strange behaviour and sent him a worried look. He answered with what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. It apparently wasn't very convinced because she pursed her lips and turned her head away from him. He felt his heart sink. But she could just be mad at him for "courting" Peggy. That was understandable and he wouldn't blame her if she slapped him in the face whether or not he went back with her.

"Oh, and there's the little fact that the time machine will be ready by the end of tomorrow," Howard blurted. Steve blinked. Tomorrow? That was so little time to decide! He knew he couldn't put it off forever but he needed more time! He supposed he wouldn't get any though. Even though Tania technically didn't have to use the time machine just because it was up and running, if he knew her at all she would be too eager to see her friends and family back home.

Home. Wasn't that what he called the Tower? Did he not call it home? Both times were his homes. It was just a matter of having to choose which one he'd rather live in – permanently. In this time, the people from the other time didn't exist. In that time, the people of this time were dead. It was a hard thing to grasp.

"Steve, you alright?" He blinked again as he registered a female hand waving in front of his face. He caught with his own and looked up from his slouching position right into Tania's face. She was inches away from him and he suddenly had the urge to take her up into his arms and never let her go. He hadn't touched her in days and he had often wondered if he was suffering from withdrawal.

His fingers wrapped around her entire wrist easily and their bare skin touched. He felt the embers from their first kiss slowly start to turn orange somewhere in the back of his mind. Was that supposed to mean something? Didn't all those movies Pepper had made the team watch talk about a spark? Did embers count as sparks? Or maybe he was thinking about fireworks. WHY WAS EVERYTHING SO CONFUSING? He wanted to scream. But he couldn't because Tania was right there and taking his breath away.

It was only when Howard clapped once that they were both snapped out of their trance and pulled apart. He let go immediately and started to blush. It felt like they were starting from scratch with their relationship where they were too shy to make a move but still cared about each other deeply. But this time he wasn't starting a relationship with Tania… or was he? Even if he chose to go into the future he hoped they wouldn't have to start from scratch. He and Peggy hadn't started from scratch though it was actually pretty close now that he thought about it. He and Peggy hadn't kissed at all that week, but they had been flirting a lot and honestly Steve felt incredibly guilty for what this must be doing to Tania but he needed to know. He needed to know for a fact who he loved more and he figured that this was the only way.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts if even for a little while. He would brood on it later when he was alone. "Wow, that's… quite the news," he commented. And then it hit him: going to his second home was actually a possibility now. It wasn't before. But now he was so close to going back he could almost taste it – and it tasted good. Okay, stop. No more sulking until he was alone.

He shook his head again. Tania eyed him weirdly but didn't comment, for which he was grateful. He didn't want attention right now and she seemed to understand that. She seemed to understand him.

UGH! Why couldn't he stop thinking about it? Even when he was trying to suppress his thoughts about Peggy and Tania they came crawling back in every little thing that he or they did. It was frustrating beyond belief not to be able to control his own mind in a sense. He wondered if it was anything like how Clint felt when under Loki's control. He imagined not and almost laughed out loud at the thought. This was nothing like that, nothing at all.

"I agree with Tania there Steve," Howard said with a frown, "you doin' okay?"

"Fine," he answered curtly and nodding his head once. Great, now Howard was suspicious and- oh! Look. Now Peggy's suspicious too. Greeeeeeeat. He stood up from the desk he had been sitting on next to the auburn haired Agent. "I think… I think I'm going to back to your place Howard. I'm feeling a little… tuckered out."

"Captain America feeling tired over two Hydra soldiers? Are you pulling my leg?" Howard asked.

Steve shook his head. "No, and it's not physically. I guess I'm just emotionally drained if I'm being honest. I'll… I'll see you all tomorrow." He bowed his head slightly before turning and leaving, slipping on his glasses before he went, slipping on this fake person in this home that didn't feel the same as the first time.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N. Hiya folks! :) Okay so for the this one, i request that you not jump to conclusions just yet, you never know what's going to happen next chapter - anything could happen. So this may or may not be definite but the story is definitely not over juuuuuuuust yet. Also, 19 more reviews til someone gets their requested oneshot! And from the looks of things, 5 of you want a 3rd book so it looks like I'm going to write one. For those of you who don't think I should write one, don't read it. Not a big deal. This of course doesn't mean anything to give away the ending. No matter which way it goes I can still write a 3rd installment with or without Steve, however it will revolve around Tania for sure. With all that said and done, my makeshift JARVIS Mark II would say "Enjoy!" if he could, but he can't. All he can say so far is, "Of course Miss _". So I'll do it, Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 32

Howard tore into his sandwich ravenously. He was famished. He and Tania had been working twice as hard to finish the time machine by nightfall and Steve had joined them as well. Of course, that just made things awkward but Tania, being the professional that she was, pretended there was nothing there and made small talk. It was an improvement to her silent treatment at least. She did give Steve the cold shoulder though. No one could really blame her.

They were on lunch break the day after Howard's kidnapping. He didn't seem too shaken up and had no qualms talking about it. That didn't mean he was totally fine. The night before, Tania had heard muffled groans and yells coming from Howard's room. She suspected he was either having a nightmare or having wild sex – presumably with Maria. Tania did the math and deducted that no, Tony had NOT been conceived in the next room over because he wouldn't be born for several more years (thank God).

Right now he seemed normal, digging into his food with a smile on his face next to Tania and across from Steve. She ate tentatively beside him, picking out certain things and pretty much just playing with her food. She hadn't felt hungry in… well, days. She still ate of course, it would be stupid of her not to, but it was considerably less. It was like her stomach was tied in a permanent knot – or it felt like it was too full of emotions to digest anything else. Even if emotions weren't tangible, you could still feel them.

The three of them ate together in relative silence until Tania excused herself to go to the bathroom. Steve watched her leave, turning his head as the door was behind him. When he turned back, Howard was glaring at him. He jumped.

"What?"

"You know what, Mr. I'm going to cheat on my girlfriend."

"It's not cheating!"

"You're dating two girls at the same time!"

"I don't… I don't think Tania and I are dating anymore," he confessed, looking down at his food.

"What makes you say that?"

He shrugged. "We haven't been seeing each other lately…"

"Because she asked you to."

"Doesn't that mean that she doesn't want to see me?"

"… you idiot."

"What?"

"She doesn't want to see you and Peggy together. She loves you of course she wants to see you."

"So… we're still… courting?"

"Yes!"

"Well… that makes my guilt worse."

"If you were feeling guilty about it in the first place then you must've known it was wrong."

"I don't know about wrong…"

"Yes, Steve. What you did was WRONG and frankly inexcusable. However, considering the context, I'm almost sure that Tania would take you back anyway."

"Would she?" he looked so hopeful.

"She loves you that much and she knows that you're intentions are mostly pure."

"Is this… you telling me to choose Tania?"

"Maybe."

"Aren't you supposed to be the unbiased one? Or if not, telling me to choose your close friend Peggy?"

He shrugged. "I'm an engineer, Captain. I'm very observant to details and I've been watching you around both girls – separately and together. I've also been watching them around you and honestly? I think Tania loves you more."

"What?"

"Would you stop saying that? Anyway, before you were… er, frozen, you and Peggy were friends with crushes on each other. The only thing that changed was that you kissed once and promised to dance together. Now you're with another girl three months later, kissing with tongue, going on dates, dedicating your entire life to her, worshipping the ground she walks on (you may want to lighten up on that a bit though), and you even live together! Yet you're considering throwing her away because of a crush you had way back when."

Steve took a moment to process this. "You said you observed the way I acted around both girls… which one do you think I-?"

"Ohh no, I'm not telling you how you feel. That's your problem. I'm just stating the facts."

"Then how do you think Peggy feels about me?"

He leaned back in his chair, balancing dangerously on the back legs as he pondered his answer. "I think she's desperate not to lose you again. She lost you once, she doesn't want to do it again and if you left willingly it might just hurt more. But essentially I think she just wants you to be happy."

"But how does she feel?"

"You'll have to ask her that yourself."

"How?"

"You've been in a relationship longer than I have, though I've seen more women than you probably ever will," Like father like son, "you should be telling me how this works."

It was at that moment that Tania returned, unaware of their discussion while she hadn't been present. The three of them continued to eat in contemplative silence for the rest of the break.

* * *

"We did it! It's done! IT'S DONE! I can't believe it! Oh my God IT'S DONE!" Tania squealed, hugging Howard tightly and jumping around happily. "I can go home and see my family and technology and everything can go back to normal!" Her smile dimmed a little as she realized that her new version of normal would have a big Steve-shaped whole in it.

Howard grinned. "Let's test it as much as we can before we send you in there." He exited the glass room followed by Tania and the two of them made their way to his desk. He grabbed an apple and tossed it at the time machine before slamming the door closed. They watched as the giant gear began to turn and the wind began to pick up. It was like an indoor tornado in there, however the contraption itself remained immobile. There was a bright flash of blue that forced the duo in the office to cover their eyes. When they looked back, the apple was nowhere in sight. They went inside and checked – it was gone.

"It works!" Tania exclaimed. "This is perfect! This is… this is…"

"Fantastic?"

"Don't you mean dillinger?"

"Nope. I mean fantastic.'

She exhaled as half the weight from her shoulders lifted, leaving a substantial amount on her back but taking away enough to be noticeable. She stood up taller. "I can't wait to go back."

"Are you sure? Cause I've got two tickets to go see a show tonight and I think you can wait a few hours."

Tania smiled sadly at him. "Yeah, I've been here for a few weeks now. A few hours wouldn't hurt."

Howard beamed and looped her arm through his as he led her out of there eagerly.

* * *

"Well… even though I think the actors did a pretty good job of portraying their characters and I liked the show overall, I find it extremely creepy that Oedipus slept and married his mother. I mean, granted he didn't know it was his mother at the time but I mean… it's just gross."

Tania wrinkled her nose.

Howard laughed and took another drag from his cigar. "I agree with you on the acting and the props weren't half bad, but I don't blame the guy. I mean, yeah, she was old and kind of looked like him and the wife of the man he just killed but she was good-looking and he didn't know that she was his mother, otherwise I doubt he would have married her in the first place."

"I know you're right but just the fact that it happened…" she shuddered.

The two of them walked along side by side on the way back to Howard's house from the theatre. They'd gone to see the play Oedipus Rex and had relatively good seats thanks to Howard's large sum of money. It was dark out and late, about eleven or so. The clouds were gathering above them and it felt like it was about to rain. It was a bit of a length walk, but they had both vetoed taking a car for different reasons, mostly because they didn't think it would rain.

Tania hopped onto the sidewalk and balanced like she was walking a tight rope with her arms out to the sides and smiled. She used to do this as a kid all the time. Of course, Graham would usually be on the other side of the road trying to race her home, but it still brought a tiny smile to her lips.

She looked over at Howard. "Didn't you say you were gonna quit smoking?"

He appeared a little sheepish as his head bowed a bit to hide his face. "Yeah, but it was harder than I thought."

Tania chuckled. "I could have told you that. How long did you last?"

"Only a couple weeks."

"Howard! That's amazing! People from my time sometimes can't go a few hours without taking a smoke."

He blinked up at her in surprise. "Really? Well no wonder they're getting cancer if they do it so often."

"Not everyone who smokes gets cancer, but it is a pretty common reason to develop it."

"I see… I don't suppose they have a cure for it yet do they?"

"I probably shouldn't tell you, but no."

"Don't worry, I won't spill any of your secrets."

"On purpose. What if you have a slip up?"

"I'll erase their memory."

She sighed. "So you've decided not to use it on yourself?"

He nodded in reply and the two of them were plunged into silence. There were the odd noises of people bustling inside buildings as they passed and a dog barking in the distance, but they were easy to ignore. Eventually, Tania decided to start up a conversation again.

"So this is nice," she commented.

"Yeah."

"Hanging out with you, just the two of us. I mean, it's been just the two of us for the past week or so, but it's cool to be in a different setting, you know?"

"I do."

"And it was really nice of you to pay for my ticket and food. You didn't have to."

"I know."

She sighed. "The benefits of being rich."

He grinned. "It's true. I can give out money like it's nothing. Speaking of which, I figured I'd refill Steve's bank account after you guys are gone so that it was like you never took it all in the first place. The less changes, the better."

"You're the best, Howard."

"Again, I know," he said cheekily.

She laughed. "It feels good to laugh again. I've been so depressed lately. I suppose I would have to come out of my funk eventually, but I feel like I'm on the precipice… like one little thing could just push me over the edge and I'd be right back where I started. I know for a fact that if Steve chooses to stay I'll be right back in my little depression, but right now I'm kind of in between. I'll be really happy when- er, if, Steve chooses me."

"So you haven't been truly happy all this time?" She shook her head no. "Well then, I'm sorry that I couldn't see you that way."

"I'm sorry too. I've probably been bringing you down."

"Not at all!" He reassured her, "If anything, your presence has brightened my days considerably. Well, yours and Steve's put together. Had you guys not been here, I'd still be in a submarine searching for the Captain for years on end."

"I guess." She looked over at him thoughtfully. "I'm going to miss you, Howard. You're a great friend."

He smiled genuinely up at her as she hopped off the sidewalk and onto the empty road. He threw one arm around her, causing the smoke from his cigar to cloud up in front of her face. She coughed and playfully shoved him away. He laughed heartily and stuffed his hand in his pocket. "I'm going to miss you too. I hope you have a great life, with or without Steve."

"And I hope you'll never forget me when you live the good life I know you're going to have."

He chuckled. "I won't. You're too good a friend for that."

She contemplated that for a few seconds. "How did we become friends in this messed up calamity? Something unexpectedly sad was thrown into my life, but then I meet you and get to know Peggy and it's like… even though you two are the main reasons Steve would want to stay, you're my favourite things about this time. That's ironic isn't it? The two people who are taking away the love of my life are the two people I've grown too close to for me to hate."

"Well after spending so much time together and living together and stuff I'd say it was inevitable."

"I guess you're right."

"But how do you-" She stopped. Howard kept walking for a bit until he noticed that she wasn't following him. He turned around, confused. She stood on the street, frozen, and staring off to the side. He followed her gaze until he found what had caused her to react so strongly.

Across the street was a bar. This bar had a veranda. Standing on this veranda, were Peggy and Steve. More accurately put, kissing on the veranda, were Peggy and Steve. It was soft and the two of them barely moved but it was long.

He heard a sniffle and turned back to Tania only to realize she had run off. He tore after her as the first rain drops started to fall. He contemplated the timing for a bit before pushing himself to go faster. She had gotten a head start and it was already really dark out. He was going to lose her and fast. And this rain wasn't helping.

Around the corner, Tania just kept running. She thought she could handle the pain of Steve choosing Peggy over her but apparently she couldn't. The agonizing pain in her chest where her heart should be attested to that. She clutched and clawed at it, wishing she could rip it out and stop the pain. The tears started immediately as if someone had flipped a switch and her stomach twisted and turned like she was still on that submarine.

She ran and she didn't know where she was going but she knew she had to be alone. She couldn't let Howard see her like this. The burning in her heart began to spread throughout her chest and she swore it would consume her and kill her. But she didn't want to die. She still had a home to get back to.

After what felt like hours of running through alleyway, parking lots, and turning lots of corners, she finally thought she lost him. She collapsed without really thinking about it and sobbed on the concrete. There was no one around and it was an almost deadly silent. Her sobs were louder than ever and she sucked in a deep breath. She screamed with everything she had in her as she sat up, leaning back against her hands as her head bent forward towards her knees. Her face was twisted in agony as her throat strained and her ears rang. She was grateful that she wasn't in an urban neighborhood. There weren't any houses or people around, just stores and restaurants and what-not and they were all closed.

She curled up into a ball and cried. Her happiness had been so brief… why couldn't it have lasted longer? She'd gone from laughing and teasing to crying and screaming in seconds. When did her life become such an emotional rollcer coaster? Oh that's right, when she went back in time.

She ripped the bun out of her hair and let it tumble down her shoulders and clutched fistfuls of it. She didn't pull, but she held it there and squeezed at the strands and pushed against her head, begging for someone to take the pain away. But she was alone. She had chosen to be alone. No one needed to see her like this.

Something popped into her head and she thought about Les Miserables. Maybe it was the fact that she and Steve had never finished reading it. Maybe it was the fact that she just returned from a Broadway show, but she suddenly found the urge to sing. She hadn't sang since the mission before everything happened in front of Spider-man.

There was a specific song though, and it fit… mostly. She had nothing to lose. There was no one here. She opened her mouth and started to sing in between sobs.

_On my own_  
_Pretending he's beside me_  
_All alone_  
_I walk with him 'til morning_  
_Without him_  
_I feel his arms around me_  
_And when I lose my way I close my eyes_  
_And he has found me_

_In the rain_  
_The pavement shines like silver_  
_All the lights_  
_Are misty in the river_  
_In the darkness_  
_The trees of full of starlight_  
_And all I see is him and me_  
_Forever and forever_

_And I know_  
_It's only in my mind_  
_That I'm talking to myself_  
_And not to him_  
_And although I know that he is blind_  
_Still I say_  
_There's a way for us_

_I love him_  
_But when the night is over_  
_He is gone_  
_The river's just a river_  
_Without him_  
_The world around me changes_  
_The trees are bare and everywhere_  
_The streets are full of strangers_

_I love him_  
_But everyday I'm learning_  
_All my life_  
_I've only been pretending_  
_Without me_  
_His world will go on turning_  
_A world that's full of happiness that I never known_

_I love him_  
_I love him_  
_I love him_

_But only on… my own_

Her voice cracked several times, especially on that high note at the end, but she didn't care. It wasn't like Bruce was here. It didn't matter how she sounded.

There were parallels with her situation and that of Eponine's, but some of the lyrics didn't make sense. The scene in the movie though was almost exactly the same. Raining, darkness, pavement that shines like silver, etc. It was… serendipitous. Was that the right word? She didn't even care anymore.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and shrieked, rolled over to get away from the person before she realized it was just Howard. He was soaked to the bone and panting, hand outstretched towards her expectantly. He didn't look happy, but something in his eyes told her that he wasn't upset with her.

She didn't bother to wipe her eyes. It was raining after all. Slowly, she took his hand and he pulled her gently to her feet. She sniffed once more and looked him in the eye. She couldn't say that singing had made her feel better, but the appearance of Howard made her realize something, something that could make her feel better. "Take me home."

**A/N. I'm sorry, I lied about the "more Steve thinking" this chapter. That comes next chapter for sure :P Also, I wrote down those lyrics off of memory so I'm sorry if I missed anything. I don't own Les Mis or (just for good measure) Oedipus Rex or the Avengers or basically anything you recognize from somewhere else (ex: Doctor Who, Spider-man, Superman [mentioned earlier], and stuff like that). See you tomorrow (hopefully)!**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N. Hi guys (again)! I couldn't help it, but I guess you guys don't mind xP I was too close not to write it. Anyway, it's pretty short, but it's hopefully satisfying. Hope you guys enjoy! :D**

Chapter 33

Steve had wanted to finish working on the time machine and be there when it was finished, but at the same time, he wanted to put off his decision his long as was possible. So when Peggy begged him to go on at least one more/last date with her, he had agreed.

She took him to a bar – one that looked remarkably like the one where he'd gathered the Howling Commandos together. She was even wearing the same red dress. She was pulling out the big guns.

He had to say though that a bar wouldn't have been his first choice on any date. However, being the polite gentleman that he was, he didn't say anything and instead gulped down his beer. There was a brief tingly feeling in his gut before it went away two seconds later. If only he could get drunk and forget, just for a little while, about the heavy weight on his shoulders.

They had dinner and they talked and laughed but it was awkward between them for one reason – they knew the time machine was probably finished by now. That meant that he had to make his decision, and soon.

Thing was, Steve had yet to do so. He was still so torn between the two of them he felt like he would rip in two. A part of him wished he really would split into two so that he could have it both ways, but he knew that wasn't an option. In a way, he also wanted this decision to be over with as fast as possible so that he could live instead of feel like he was stuck in some limbo of stress.

He spent all day comparing Tania to Peggy and after hours of this just gave up on that front. Comparing them wouldn't do anything. They were both different and similar and no matter what they were like it wouldn't change anything. It was HIS feelings that were the main factor, however, he'd never had much experience with deciphering his own feelings – or others, for that matter.

So instead, he focused on comparing the two relationships. His relationship with Peggy right now (no matter how short) had been pleasant. He'd felt happy around her and laughed with her and understood her and they just worked well together. They were compatible. But there was that underlying guilt gnawing away at his gut. How could he do this to Tania, a girl he supposedly loved? Could you stop loving someone? Could you love two people at the same time?

It was practically torture to try and figure out everything on his own. Howard had helped a little in telling him about Tania's feelings and his own observations of Tania after their supposed "break up" (which apparently didn't count as one according to Howard) just proved how dedicated she was to him. He hadn't seen that in Peggy but then again, she'd never really had the chance to prove it. Well okay, she did, but that was when he was "dead" in her eyes. That's when she'd been the most dedicated (at least, that's what her file had implied). Maybe she just needed a chance to prove herself. Unfortunately, he couldn't give her that chance because he probably had only hours until everyone would be expecting an answer from him.

After dinner with the both of their minds still clouded, the two of them walked out into the fresh air. They stood on the veranda that was beneath a little roof to protect them from the incoming rain. It was like that night they'd gone dancing and Peggy had ran out and he'd followed her. It was almost exactly like that night, except now he was on the left and she was on the right. They were both leaning against the railing. She was leaning forward whereas he was more leaning his hip against it and facing backward.

He crossed his arms and stared at her. She was beautiful, of that he had no doubt. Her auburn curls bouncing in the wind flew around her delicate face despite her hard personality. Her lips were blood red and her eyes were a murky brown. Tania's were more of a chocolate brown. Not that one was necessarily better than the other, they were just… different.

He sighed audibly and pressed his palms deep into his eyes. He didn't think he'd ever spent so much time on a choice in his life. Then again, he'd never had so long to make a decision before. His frustration obviously caught Peggy's attention, for she turned to him curiously.

"Are you alright, Steve?" she asked quietly.

"I'm… I… I honestly don't know. I don't know anything anymore."

"You know that you love her."

He was caught off guard and stopped rubbing his eyes to look at her. She was slightly fuzzy from the pressure he'd applied but the serum fixed that in no time. "I… um, yeah."

"And… you know you love me, right?" He apparently didn't answer fast enough because she kept going. "You know Steve, if you still don't have an answer by now, maybe that means that your subconscious wants you to stay where you were."

"But I'm from here."

"Why do you make it sound like a bad thing?"

"It's not! I swear it's not! I-"

She laughed humourlessly. "I know Steve, but I don't think you were ever meant to come back."

He gaped at her. "What do you mean?"

"You came here on a fluke."

"I survived on a fluke-"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Why are you talking like it's good-bye?"

She turned and looked him straight in the eye. "Isn't it? Maintain eye contact with me and tell me that this isn't good-bye."

He opened his mouth to speak – but nothing came out.

"Exactly."

"Peggy, I want to stay-"

"And you want to go. I know. But ultimately I think I know your choice before you do."

"Are you… pushing me away?"

"In a sense. But you were going to go anyway."

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to. It's in your actions and your facial expressions and your words sometimes." She turned so that she was facing away from the street as well and mimicking Steve's position. She stared at him knowingly. "There's only one thing that can possibly convince you to stay."

"What's that?"

She scooted closer to him and grabbed his hand. She looked up at him and tilted her chin towards his. He found himself leaning forward to catch her lips in a kiss. He found himself flashing back to the first time they'd locked lips when he'd been about to board the Hydra plane. It had been enlightening for him, showed him all that he was fighting for and made his motives all the more clear. This time was no different.  
She was the one to pull away after what felt like forever. He blinked. Everything suddenly became clear. He smiled brightly for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Peggy, you're an amazing women."

"But…" she urged, knowing what was coming. She felt her heart seemingly become crushed as he said his next words.

"But nothing. You're amazing. However," she snorted at that, "my feelings for you, however strong, aren't enough to keep me here. I've made a family in the future, Peggy. A real, colourful, dysfunctional, super powered family. They're more than just a team, they're my team of super heroes." He felt his smile slowly turn into a grin. "I have a sense of duty there. I have a purpose. The war is over and despite the fact that there's no world war in the future that I know of, I'm still saving the planet.

"I've become somewhat accustomed to the technology and the way people dress and talk and act. I probably won't act or dress like them any time soon, but I've adapted to it. Once you've adapted to something else, it's hard to go back to the original. It feels weird without cell phones and AI – or just an AI I guess – and tables (or was it tablets) and coloured television and movie players that aren't projectors. It's like I had something and then let it slip through my fingers like grains of sand. Sure, this will always be my first home, my first love, but the future is my second home and I love it just as much as this one. The future is where my family is, my team, my home, my bike, my shield, my suit, my… my girlfriend.

"Peggy… Tania got me through getting adjusted to that time. She is associated with it and though she's never told me her decision directly, I… I think she's going to choose to go home. To our home. I love her so much I… I would follow her anywhere. I can't stand the thought of her with someone else, it kills me inside. But I've always thought of you as someone who would find someone else one day. Before the serum, I thought you were too good for me. After the serum, I still never thought you'd go for me. After the plane crash, I thought of you as someone who's moved on. I've accepted it. I've read your file and Peggy… you live a long life without me. On paper it looks fine. I of course don't know how your life actually will go but… I just… I can't leave her Peggy. I can't.

"Your kiss showed me just how much I've changed since that day I crashed the plane. For you it's only been a few weeks, for me it's been about four months. I've fought aliens, battled alongside a mutant, bickered with the offspring of my best friend, related to a God, joined a secret government organization run by a guy with an eye patch, somehow managed to fall in love in a mangled New York City… I've changed. You haven't and it's good to see that you haven't quite yet, but I don't think the relationship between us will ever be the same.

"I love Tania so much it's… it's unfathomable! Even to me!" He laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. "I don't want to leave her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, I…" he seemed at a loss for words.

"You don't have to say anymore Steve. I think I get the picture."

He turned around so that he wasn't leaning against the railing anymore, but rather griping it with his left hand and bending down to her height. "I'm sorry Peggy. Truly I am. But you'll find someone else. No one can resist a good, strong dame like you."

"So this is good-bye," she stated. He could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

He softened. "No it isn't. I'll see you in the future, Peggy. I promise." He kissed the top of her head. "This isn't a second chance for us; it's a second chance to say good-bye."

She sniffled. "Well… alright. Good-bye Captain."

He tilted her head up so that she could see his face. "It's Steve."

She laughed once through her tears and nodded in acceptance. "Farewell Steve. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. But we'll both live." She nodded again, sucking in a deep breath. He squeezed her hand once before backing towards the stairs. "I'll see you later Peggy!"

He waved and then began jogging down the street towards Howard's home. "Good luck soldier!" she called after him, finally letting the tears fall. He saluted back at her before he continued running into the darkness and the rain that she hadn't noticed had started. When he was gone, she whispered, "I'm glad we finally got that dance."

**A/N. PLEASE READ! For all those Steggy fans out there, if you're interested, I can write an alternate ending where Steve chooses Peggy instead. That will come after the Epilogue though so you guys can be patient right? I mean, you wouldn't have clicked on this story if you didn't like Steve/OC right? Right. And I can assure that Steve wasn't lying when he said he would see her in the future either. But that's in the 3rd installment ;) So that's all, but you MAY get a 3rd chapter today as well. Writing the climax&ending is always the best part I find xD**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N. Here we have it, the last chapter of Having Coffee With Steve Rogers :O but don't worry, there's still the epilogue and the alternate ending (if people want it). The epilogue might come tonight as well, I'm just so close I don't want to stop now XD So I hope you've enjoyed the story and thank you to all those who stuck by this long to see the ending. I know it's been a REALLY long time but I appreciate not giving up on me :D See you guys in the epilogue! Oh, and the 3rd installment I hope. But just a heads up, that might not come for a while. I have no idea when I'll start posting it but I'll add an excerpt here as a notification to all those interested when i have it written. As for the Graham/Darcy spin-off... I'm thinking sometime after seeing Thor 2. Enjoy! :D**

Chapter 34

Steve sprinted all the way back to the mansion, a goofy grin permanently etched onto his face. His super serum allowed him to get there rather fast even in the slippery rain. He barged right in and called out her name. His brows furrowed when he got no response. He called Howard. Again, no response. His next thought was that it would be easier to find them with cell phones and he laughed out loud. He never imagined that he would be thinking about technology like that – but he was.

Still, it was obvious that both Tania and Howard weren't in the vicinity. Just for good measure, he called their names again. No answer. Where else could they be? Howard had mentioned something about going to see a show… maybe they were still at the theatre? He doubted it. It was extremely late for a show to run that long. So where else could they be? They wouldn't be at base would they? Well it wouldn't hurt to check.

He ran out of the house and towards base. The shack was a lot closer than the bar he'd come from and he got there within five minutes of sprinting, barely winded. He hastily spit out the password and boarded the elevator which wasn't moving fast enough for him. He fidgeted nervously until the doors opened and he marched towards Howard's office.

He threw open the door. "Tan-?" his call was cut short when registered the scene before him. Howard was standing behind his desk with a clip board in hand and a pencil in the other facing the glass walls that allowed him to see into the next room.

In the next room, was Tania. Her face was tear-streaked and her hair was a mess and she looked… broken. His heart leapt at seeing her but it made his insides twist at her sadness; probably caused by him. That made it worse.

At seeing him, her eyes widened and she pressed her palm onto the time machine. "NO!" Steve shouted, bursting for the door.

"STEVE WAIT!" Howard yelled and stood between the Captain and the door as the wind in the glass room started to pick up and swirl in a vortex of air.

"TANIA!" Steve called. He pushed past Howard and toward the door.

"You could kill her!" Howard blurted loudly. Steve froze. "Disrupting the equilibrium of its load halfway through the process could affect it negatively and cause it to overload from lack of preparation!" He explained in a panicked voice. Steve stepped in front of the glass wall as a bright light engulfed the woman he loved and he banged the glass with the side of his fist. "NO!"

The light disappeared and she was gone. He whirled on Howard. "Send me after her! Do it!"

The genius looked like his feathers had been sufficiently ruffled. "Are you sure-?"

"I'm sure! Just do it!"

"You have all the time in the world. I can send you to the exact second she arrived and it will be like you left right after her."

"I made my decision Howard, I want to go to her now."

"So, what? I don't get a good-bye hug?" He opened his arms out wide.

Steve broke out into a smile and hugged the man he called his friend tightly. "Thank you Howard. For everything. Because you built that time machine, I was able to come back and say good-bye. Tell the Howling Commandos I said good-bye too, but don't tell them-"

"The whole time travelling thing, I got it. But if I slip up I can always erase their memory."

He chuckled. "Don't ever change, Howard. I'm sorry we didn't get to spend more time together during this… um, fiasco."

"We still could…" Steve eyed the time machine nervously and Howard laughed and waved it away. "I get it, I get it. Anxious to be with the one you love. Me too buddy. Maria and I are going on a date tomorrow."

Steve smiled and gripped his friend's shoulder. "I'm happy for you."

"And I, you. Now go get 'er!" he gave a playful shove in the direction of the door and Steve sent him a grateful look before entering the glass room. He stood next to the time machine and eyed the contraption the four of them had worked so hard on. He noticed that the dials were set to the exact date they'd left (sometime in September) and for the address of Tony's Malibu mansion. He eyed it suspiciously. Because the room was sound proof, Howard couldn't help him activate it. He fingered the giant gear put yanked his hand back when it started to slowly spin, faster and faster. The buttons lit up in a flashing dance and he felt like he was in a tornado. Speaking of tornadoes…

"There's no place like home," he muttered just before the blue light absorbed everything.

* * *

He groaned and forced his eyes open. He felt abnormally tired… but then everything rushed back to him and he sat up so fast he almost gave himself head rush. He looked around.

He was in the basement of Tony's mansion with the time machine and all the other knick knacks and the fallen tarp and the dust. Everything was how he'd left it. Everything had been knocked over from the whirlwind and but nothing appeared to be destroyed. He'd had to tell Pepper about that later.

Tania was not in the room. Did he appear after her? Or maybe before? No, probably after. Before he set off in search of her, he took a moment to just let it sink in that he had time traveled once again, something that should be impossible. He was also where the Avengers were, though it was still dark outside so they were probably all asleep. He longed to see them but he didn't want to wake them up. He would greet them all in the morning. Right now, he had to get to Tania.

With it being the mansion and not the Tower, he wasn't as familiar with his surroundings. But that was when he realized something. The future had technology and Tony Stark at the same time. Together, you get… "Jarvis?" Steve said barely above a whisper.

For a brief second he held his breath. "Yes, Captain Rogers?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. He really was back where he'd left off. "Is Tania on the premises?"

"I believe she is on her way to her bedroom."

"Thanks Jarvis."

He pushed open the door and exited the room, finding himself looking at Tony's workshop. It looked almost exactly like Howard's office but with more robotic parts and different papers scattered all over the place. Never the less, the layout was extremely similar. It even had a glass wall to separate it from the stairwell. He smiled and shook his head before climbing the stairs, one hand on the banister.

He reached the first floor and looked at the futuristic furniture and the high-definition blue-ray flat-screen wide-screen TVs and the modernized furniture and the control panels on the walls to access certain things and he couldn't help but feel relaxed. He truly was in the future. No, he was in the present.

From memory, he jogged his way through the mansion toward the spider-web-like floor of bedrooms with the family room in the middle. The closer he got, the more familiar everything seemed and his smile got wider.

He found Tania's hallway and followed it until he reached her door. He raised his fist to knock before forgoing it and made to reach for a doorknob when it opened by itself by rising up into the wall above. He blinked for a second, surprised. But then he just chuckled and stepped inside.

On his left was a queen sized bed on which was a sobbing Tania Banks, still dressed in her forties clothes and on top of the covers, face down. She didn't appear to have heard him come in. Her wails nearly shattered his heart but he knew this was something he could fix and he stepped closer to her with hope and determination.

He sat on the bed, causing it to sink rather dramatically. Her head shot up and she stared at him, eyes wide. Her breathing was heavy and there were tears flowing down her cheeks like rapids and he wanted nothing more than to wipe them away – so he did. He brought his hand forward and caressed her cheek gently. She closed her eyes as he brushed his thumb over her tear tracks. They were still coming. He frowned and leaned in closer.

"Tania," he whispered. She shivered beneath his hand. "I'm here. For you."

She gasped slightly and pulled back. "But… you kissed her. You chose her."

"Just because we kissed, doesn't mean that I've bound myself to her. If anything, it made me realize that I didn't love her as much as I love you." He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips. "I know that I've wronged you in so many ways on that… get away, I suppose we can call it. But I want you to know that I'm so incredibly, deeply sorry and that I will spend the rest of my life making up for it. I promise."

Her mind was a jumble of… well, everything. Steve was here with her and he was telling her that he loved her and that he wanted to stay and that the kiss with Peggy meant nothing. But that couldn't be true. He couldn't just abandon his first home, his first love, his first team… could he? It sure seemed like it. Maybe she had cried herself to sleep and this was a tortuous and cruel nightmare.

He pressed his forehead to hers and all logic flew from her mind. And then their lips were locked in a passionate, heated kiss and she couldn't think at all. All she knew was that she fucking missed him SO MUCH and she was grabbing at his hair and his jacket and pressing herself to him desperately. He was equally as eager and reciprocated with a passion only rivaled by the woman he was kissing. Tongues met in a fiery dance (one Steve was actually good at) and his jacket was on the floor before he could even take a breath. Her fingers roamed and tangled into his hair and he pushed against her, causing the two of them to fall onto the bed. She was making all these noises that turned him on so hard…

She pressed both hands against his cheeks and pushed him away enough that he noticed and complied, but only a little. She looked up into his eyes, knowing fully well where this was going. She stared into his deep, breath taking blue orbs and whispered, "Are you sure?"

He grabbed one of her wrists and met her gaze firmly. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life."

"Even about… going all the way?"

"I've never wanted anything more in my life."

She laughed and smiled. Even though he was probably exaggerating, she leaned in closer, bringing her lips to his ear. Her breath sent a shiver down his spine. "Prove it to me, Captain."

He was undone. He was going mad with desire to do just that. He wanted to prove to her just how much she meant to him. What better way than to literally consummate their love? He wasn't in the forties anymore, the social protocols were different and this was him adjusting to it. He wasn't doing it because he thought it would prove himself (okay, partly, but that wasn't the whole reason) he was doing it because he wanted to and he knew she wanted do and they love each other and he missed her and gosh there were so many reasons but he couldn't think of any of them right now because her lips were on his again and she was pulling on his tie.

She threw it away after a few seconds and rolled them over so that she was on top. He kissed away her remaining tears before she sat up and began unbuttoning her blouse. Steve couldn't take his eyes away. He was of course a virgin, which he hadn't given much thought to until now, though he was finding it hard to think at all now that her shirt was completely off and she straddled him in her skirt and bra.

She wasn't a virgin, he knew that much. She had experience where he didn't and he hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself too much if he didn't know certain positions or things like that. She quickly distracted him though by attacked his lips and pressed her chest to his and he wanted more than anything for his own shirt to be off. Was it hot in here?

She scrambled with the buttons one by one before tearing it apart and pressing her palms against his chest. He sucked in a shaky breath and her lip into his mouth at the same time and groaned. He shrugged off the sleeves with little difficulty and threw it off to the side. Skin against skin burned in every place she touched him and he wanted more of it so badly it hurt.

He rolled them over again and lay on top of her, kissing down her neck and along her collarbone, just above her bra. She shivered and he chose that moment to pull away enough so that he could focus on getting rid of his suddenly too tight pants. He kicked them away, eager to resume what had been started. She met him halfway so that they were both sitting up and he wrapped one arm around her waist and one wove itself into her hair while both of hers wound around his neck. She shifted and wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed herself to him, hiking her skirt up.

He moaned and fell over by accident, knocking them both onto the bed again. He pretended he had meant to do that ran his hand up her thigh. He felt dizzy and electric and high, even though he didn't know what being high felt like, if he had to describe it, it would be the feeling he was experiencing right now.

She reached bucked her hips into the air and shoved her skirt down her legs before she kicked them off the side of the bed. They were now both in their underwear. "Are you absolutely sure?" she asked one more time.

He just chuckled, deep and throaty and reached for the nape of her neck, bringing her lips to his. He mumbled against her mouth. "Positive."


	35. Alternate Ending

**A/N. OMG IT'S THE END! NOOOO- Oh wait, the 3rd book. XP Still, there's a while before I'll start that. I'll probably add a bunch more to Their Children and MAYBE add something to my Glee fics or maybe start an X-men fic. Anyway, thank you to everyone who's reading this and to all those who have reviewed I luv you all! You're all so loyal and I love reading your comments, they make my day :) Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed, added my story to a community, read, reviewed, etc. You are all awesome! The alternate ending will NOT come today, I'm sorry. However, it will probably come tomorrow. Without further ado, enjoy the Epilogue of Having Coffee With Steve Rogers :D :D :D**

**P.S. You'll notice that I skipped the morning after, but I will be going back to that in the 3rd book. You'll see :)**

**Disclaimer - I do not, nor will I ever, nor have I ever, own, will own, or owned the Avengers. They belong to MARVEL/Disney.**

Epilogue

_Sometime later…_

Bruce stepped out of the car with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He turned back to the car. "I don't think I can do this."

"Of course you can," Tania reassured as she exited next. "You've fought against an army of aliens. You can go talk to a girl."

Steve followed after her and kept an arm around her waist at all times. "Even if she's a past love," he added, supporting his girlfriend who leaned into his chest as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"The Hulk was the one who fought the army," he deadpanned.

Pepper got out of the limo next and laughed as she heard his last comment. "The Hulk IS you, Bruce."

"And you're the Hulk," Tony reiterated after his co-CEO as he stood up.

Thor and Jane exited from the other side. "I have faith in you, Friend Bruce," Thor boomed over the stretch limo to fit them all.

"Me too," the astrophysicist sheepishly agreed.

Graham popped his head over the top of the vehicle by the two of them and grinned goofily. "Go Bruce Go! Go Bruce Go!"

The doctor rolled his eyes as Clint and Natasha got out from further up front on opposite sides. "Suck it up Bruce and ring the doorbell already," ordered Clint jokingly.

"You'll do great," Natasha reaffirmed.

Happy sent him a thumbs up from the driver's seat and he felt his heart rate climbing already and he hadn't even seen Betty yet. With lots of help from Tania, Tony, and JARVIS, Bruce was able to locate his ex-girlfriend's home. He had then been convinced to go talk to her somehow (he think it had something to do with hypnosis) and there they were, Wellesley, Ontario. He had no idea why she would be in Canada of all places, but he supposed it was just something he'd have to ask her.

Tania and Pepper began fussing over him and how he looked and he had to shoo them away like flies as they laughed. He huffed and turned around. There was no way he could run, not unless he wanted to Hulk out and maybe kill dozens of people. Was that an option? He sighed. No, that wasn't an option. Like Clint said, he had to suck it up.

He started some of those deep breathing exercises he'd learned from around the world and managed to slow his heart rate before walking forward. He was nervous beyond belief but he managed to keep his heart beating a satisfactorily normal speed.  
He pushed the doorbell before he could stop himself.

About thirty seconds later, the door opened to reveal a buff man in his thirties in a black T-shirt with fantastic hair. This was not what anyone was expecting and pretty much everyone reeled back in shock.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Bruce cleared his throat and was suddenly excruciatingly embarrassed. "Um, I'm looking for Be- I mean, Elizabeth Ross?"

The man raised an eyebrow and looked Bruce up and down before eyeing the flowers. The doctor had a strange urge to hide them behind his back. The man opened his mouth to say something when he heard a woman's voice and echoing footsteps.

"Martin? Who's at the door? Is-?" Betty Ross appeared in the doorway and froze mid-sentence. The man looked between them for a bit before shrugging and heading back inside, leaving the two of them on the porch and the Avengers to watch from the edge of the driveway. "Bruce?" she breathed. "Is that really you?"

He scratched the back of his head shyly. "Uh, yeah, it's me." He looked down and noticed the flowers as if he had forgotten them. He quickly held them up. "Um, these are for you to say that… I'm sorry for just cutting off communications between us and for so long. I know it's a really lame peace offering but-"

She threw her arms around him and he just barely caught her around the waist from her unexpected weight. He let out a little "oof" but otherwise didn't mind and buried his face in her hair. "I missed you so much," she whispered into his neck. It sounded like she was crying.  
The Avengers "awwwww"-ed right on cue. He rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Betty. It felt so good to have her back in his arms again. He felt whole. That wasn't something he had felt in a long time.

Betty pulled away and held his face in both of her hands. "Are you gonna stay?"

"I don't know about stay, but I'm definitely not going to lose contact with you. I've missed you too much. I'm miserable without you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then you should know that I'm still in love with you, Bruce."

"You are?" he asked, lighting up like a Christmas tree.

She nodded vigorously. "I am. I tried dating after you but no one could compare. I still love you and I don't think I'll ever stop."

"Who was that guy that opened the door?" He nodded to the entrance to her house.

"Oh, he's my landlord. I'm renting the extension to his house over there," she pointed to it, "for the time being. I was just in his kitchen borrowing some sugar when I heard the doorbell. I'm glad I came to see who it was."

"So am I."

"Bruce…"

"Mm?"

"... Marry me."

Everyone gasped, but Bruce quite literally went into shock. He stared at her with wide eyes and an open mouth, frozen, for quite some time. To snap him out of it, she kissed him with all the love she hadn't been able to give him in all these long years. When she pulled away, she repeated, "Marry me. Please? I don't want to lose you and I figure the only way not to is to bind us together so please, do it for me?"  
He eventually found his voice. "You do know who you're marrying, right?"

She laughed and it was like music to his ears. "Yes, I know I'm technically marrying the Hulk too. Does that mean yes?"

Bruce looked back at all his friends who were nodding frantically. "Say yes already you dumb ass!" Tony shouted.

Bruce turned back to Betty and took a deep breath.

"Yes."

* * *

_If this were a movie, this would be the bonus scene after the credits_

"Aw, come on, Cap! You know you want to!" Tony sang as he followed Steve around his hall of armour.

The Captain shook his head. "I told you, I'm not going to keep your suit."

"Your suit," the inventor corrected.

Steve sighed in frustration. "I don't want an Iron Man suit!"

"But I hear you even named it!" Steve turned a bright red and looked down at his socked feet. "Well, what did you name it?" Steve mumbled something that Tony couldn't hear. "What was that?"

"Iron Patriot," he answered, avoiding Tony's gaze.

"That's a stupid name," he commented.

Steve rolled his eyes. "That right there is why I didn't want to tell you."

"Because it's a stupid name?"

"No, because you would criticise it."

"I'm pretty sure it's because it's a stupid name. War Machine is a better name than that."

"Why does this even matter? I'm giving the suit back. If you don't want to keep the name then fine. It was just something I thought of when I saw it."

"Well what am I supposed to do with it? I'm sure as hell never going to wear it."

"Too patriotic for you Stark?"

"Better believe it too."

Steve rolled his eyes as Tony walked up to the glass case where the Iron Patriot was held. He held one hand to his chin in deep thought. "Well, I'm off to go pack," Steve announced before leaving Tony to his thoughts. They were to leave the mansion tomorrow but Tony and Pepper were going to stay behind for an indeterminable amount of time to work on a lot of Stark Industries stuff. Truthfully, Tony didn't want to be around the other Avengers when he was having nightmares. He didn't want the lot of them catching on to the fact that he was barely sleeping and had built all of their suits during his time spent in the lab or workshop avoiding nightmares. Those were the only times he wasn't with Bruce.

He looked up at the Iron Patriot. "I wonder if Rhodey would like it." He shrugged. "Jarvis, bring it down to the others."

"Yes, sir." The AI obeyed him and the glass case containing Steve's- er, Rhodey's new suit started descending into the alcove for his dozens of other suits. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Alright J, bring up the statistics for Mark Twenty-five." This was going to be a long night.

**A/N. Again, I LUV YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR READING!**

**-Koolgirl1120**


	36. Epliogue

**A/N. Heyyy :) Here is the alternate Steggy ending as promised. It's short but I hope it's enough. So the next time you hear for me, you'll be reading an excerpt from #3 in the trilogy. That sounds so cool! I'm going to write a trilogy :D Also, I managed to find a Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline online, and it turns out that Steve's crashing the plane year was accurate, however, the Avengers took place in April 2011 O.o So I'm telling you right now that in all stories in this universe (and probably all those in the Avengers fandom that I write or have written), the Avengers movie happened in late May of 2012. It just makes the most sense to me. With all that said and done, enjoy the alternate ending and don't forget to review! i still need 9 more reviews until someone gets their oneshot! ;)**

ALTERNATE ENDING

"There's only one thing that can possibly convince you to stay."

"What's that?"

She scooted closer to him and grabbed his hand. She looked up at him and tilted her chin towards his. He found himself leaning forward to catch her lips in a kiss. He found himself flashing back to the first time they'd locked lips when he'd been about to board the Hydra plane. It had been enlightening for him, showed him all that he was fighting for and made his motives all the more clear. This time was no different.  
She was the one to pull away after what felt like forever. He blinked. Everything suddenly became clear. He smiled brightly for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Peggy, you're an amazing woman."

"But…?" she urged, thinking she knew what was coming.

"But nothing. You're amazing and I love you." He took both hands in hers and stared into her eyes. "I can't leave everything I grieved for, everything I wished would come back that did. I love you Peggy, and I don't think I could handle leaving you a second time."

Agent thirteen (aka Peggy Carter) felt the tears welling up her eyes from happiness. "Oh Steve, do you really mean it?"

He nodded. "I do. I belong here, the era I grew up in, with you and Howard and the others."

"I was so sure you were going to go with Tania…"

"I was leaning towards her during my stay here, but that kiss… that kiss just made me realize how much I missed you when I was gone and how much it hurt not having you there the first time."

"But what about Captain America? He can't come out if you don't want the future to be altered."

"When Tania returns to the future, she will be in a place where we can no longer affect her. She will be in a different parallel universe. I can do whatever I want here and there will be a Tania in this universe too, but the one I know will live a life that I didn't change. At least, I think that's how it works…" he furrowed his brows and Peggy laughed.

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. I'll have Howard make another suit. Though he can't replace the shield…"

"You'll live."

He smiled and pressed another kiss to her lips. "Yeah, I will."

* * *

Tania cried herself to sleep that night, unable to stop the grief from crawling its way into her heart like the arc reactor did for the shrapnel inside of Tony. She didn't even remember falling asleep before she woke up. She didn't dare look in the mirror.

She took deep breaths and looked down. Immediately she ripped off the clothes from the forties that reminded her of him and tossed them in the trash compactor in the wall that opened for her automatically. She smiled and dried her tears. Ah, technology. How she'd missed it.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Banks?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. I missed you."

"You were only gone two point eight seven seconds last night."

"So you noticed?"

"Yes. I would have alerted the others to your disappearance had you not reappeared so quickly."

"Thanks Jarvis."

"Any time Miss Banks."

She threw open the suitcase from under the bed and searched for a suitable outfit. She was dressed in jean short shorts and a purple camisole with a diamond necklace and flip-flops. She tied her hair in a ponytail and added a cute purple headband before heading to bathroom to apply her makeup. She saw herself in the mirror and smiled. She looked… normal. She felt normal. Even though she wasn't in the Tower, she felt at home. She put on her minimal makeup and ran back into her room to grab her cell phone.

It was small and compact and metallic and oh so familiar. She turned it on and watched as the Stark technology (a present from Stark himself) projected 3D holographic imagines from the screen. But that was when she saw the time: eight a.m.

She closed her phone and ran for the kitchen, her heart pounding. She hadn't seen the other Avengers in over a month! She ached to see them again, to interact with them, to-

She entered the kitchen. Everyone was milling about, eating, cooking, or talking. Everyone was there – except Steve. Her smile faltered. She cleared her throat and distracted herself with the "reunion".

"Good morning!" she greeted. She could feel the tears of joy behind her eyelids but she shoved them back. Not yet, she told herself.

"G'mornin," Tony mumbled with his mouth full. She looked at his face and all she saw was Howard. The resemblance was uncanny and she didn't know how to react. She'd kissed this man's father. She quickly averted her eyes to land on Pepper, who waved and smiled at her. She returned it and sat down between Clint and Natasha.

They were both staring at her strangely. "What?" she asked them.

It was Clint who spoke first. "You seem… different."

"Older," Natasha added.

"And sad," he continued.

Across the table, Thor spoke up in his loud voice, getting everyone's attention. "Where is Friend Steve? He is usually among the first to wake."  
Tania felt her heart shatter all over again and she covered her mouth with her hand to quell the oncoming sob.

"Tania?" Clint called tenderly. "What's wrong?" This question had everyone's heads swivelling towards her.

"I…" she sniffled. "Steve… is gone."

Everyone gaped. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Jane panicked.

"It's… kind of a long story."

"How could it be a long story? You were both lovey dovey just yesterday," Tony pointed out.

Tania sighed. It felt unbelievably good to be with the Avengers again, but without Steve it just wasn't the same. "Last night, Steve and I accidentally came across a time machine. We were sucked back in time for several weeks before we were able to- before I was able to come back."

"A time machine? Are you sure you weren't dreaming?" Bruce asked sceptically.

"She's wasn't," Tony said. Everyone turned to him. "A long time ago, my dad built a time machine. I never thought he'd get it to work considering the lack of technology in his era so I left it to collect dust in the basement by my workshop. Is that where you found it?" She nodded in affirmation. "It's been dormant almost as long as Steve's been frozen. I set it to a date when he was alive when I was twenty to see if I could go back and talk to him – but I chickened out in case it worked and threw a tarp over it. I guess I know that now it works."

"It does."

"So… does this story have anything to do with where Steve is?" Graham asked.

She nodded. "But like I said, it's really long."

Tony scooted his chair closer. "Begin."

Less than an hour later, everyone stared at her disbelief as she started full-blown crying. Clint, being the closest person at the time, wrapped in arm around her shoulders and brought her head to rest in the crook of his neck. He rubbed her arm soothingly while Natasha grabbed her hand on her other side as a sign that she was there for her. Tony nudged her foot with his from across the table and Pepper and Jane sent her reassuring smiles. Everyone was there for her. She laughed through her tears. She was finally home and she knew that she was never leaving ever again. She also knew that with their help and a little something called time, she could heal from the thought of never again having coffee with Steve Rogers.


	37. Sneak Peak (Next book is up!)

**A/N. Hey guys! Long time no see xP So I just thought I'd let you know that the sequel (triquel?) is posted and I forgot to update THIS story and let you know. So... yeah. I'll give you a little sneak peak here and you can check out the trailer script I posted at the bottom of my profile for the third story. Sound good? I'll also give you a full-length summary here :) So let's do that first.**

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_Life is going well for Steve and Tania and the rest of the Avengers. Steve has officially, once and for all, adapted and moved on. Stania's utter devotion to each other has only magnified since their little escapade with time travel. Unfortunately, this devotion is going to be put to the ultimate test. Four months after their return from 1945, someone tries to kill Tania. Not once, not twice, but thrice. The others have gone into panic mode and have locked her in the Tower for safe keeping - until Clint and Natasha need her on the mission to find out about the people who want to kill her. Turns out, their trip to the past may have actually changed the future more than they would have liked. HYDRA is back and they only have one thing on their minds: Revenge on Captain America. Now, Steve and Tania's love for each other may be the only thing that keeps them alive through their most difficult life obstacle yet... but how long can it last?_

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**A/N. So that's that, hope I got your attention with it and piqued some interest. It doesn't seem all that popular right now but I'm hoping, PRAYING that I can maybe get to 300 reviews, seeing as my first one got 135 and my second one got 206 (or something) so I REALLY hope to get 300 reviews. If I do, I will... I don't know, but I will be OVER THE F****** MOON and I will accept all prompts in this universe (that make sense!) for a week! Is that motivation enough to go read? I hope so. So go check out the trailer and the story itself after reading this little sneak peak (which you don't really need because it's in the story that's already posted but whatever) here it is!**

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"Something borrowed?" Tania checked. As one of the bridesmaids and practically the unofficial wedding planner, the Captain's girlfriend had taken it upon herself to organize things. She liked things organized. Messes bugged her to no end. It was the same with Pepper (and the complete opposite with Jane who practically lived in clutter in New Mexico) so the business women had co-planned the wedding practically single-handedly. Everyone had been impressed with how they'd both handled the situation with the utmost professionalism and organization – but no one had been surprised.

Betty patted the beautiful arrangement of flowers in her hands that mixed orchids with daffodils. "I 'borrowed' them from my friend's garden."  
Tania's lips quirked but she continued on with her checklist. "Something blue?"

She gestured to the necklace around her neck with a sapphire pendant. "Of course."

She nodded again. "Something old?"

"My fiancé." That got every one of the girls to chuckle. "But in all honesty, this dress was my mother's. It's… pretty old."

Tania hummed in acknowledgement. She softened at the sadness buried in Betty's eyes, hiding beneath the excitement for what was to happen a few short minutes.

"Something new?"

"This veil is brand new."

"Good. Are the petals ready?"

"Good to go," Pepper confirmed with the universal sign for "A-okay" and a wink.

"Is everyone in position?"

"To our knowledge."

"Are the guests seated and ready?"

"Yes."

"Is the pianist ready?"

"Yes."

"Is Parker ready?"

"So he says."

"Perfect. Tell the pianist to start the march."

Pepper nodded and pressed a finger to her Bluetooth and began speaking into it rapidly. Tania threw away her clipboard, imagining the sound of a cat meowing in protest for fun before grabbing the single stem from which twisted both a daffodil and an orchid (something Bruce, Betty, Tony, and Jane had all worked up in the lab. Just what they needed. Science Sisters to accompany the Science Bros).

She stood in front of the large, wooden, double doors and fingered the flowers in her hands with delicate fingers. She took deep breaths as the music started. She was to go first, where Steve would join her and they'd walk the rest of the aisle together, arm in arm.

She looked down at herself. She wore a pale yellow bridesmaids dress that fell to the floor and was made of shiny satin. It hugged her body nicely and had been fitted specifically for her. The collar was rounded with folds beneath the throat and low enough to reveal her pocket watch, which she wore around her neck. Her hair had been tied in an intricate bun and curled so that one curl rested against the ride side of her face. Her nails had been painted with a French manicure and her make-up was pale but accentuating. She resisted the urge to smirk as she remembered the cowboy boots she wore beneath her dress. She didn't want to risk tripping up on the aisle in heels despite not being the bride herself – it kind of felt like it.

The other bridesmaids looked extremely similar to herself – same hairstyle, dress, make-up palette, nails, flowers, and smiles. It would go Tania, Pepper, Natasha, Jane, and then Betty, who would all be joined by their respective partners except for the bride, who would join hers at the altar.

Tania inhaled again as she waited for her cue. She wondered what Steve would think of her in this dress. It didn't exactly match her complexion but she supposed she should feel grateful – pale yellow didn't clash with the brown of her hair like it did to the red heads behind her. She had no idea why Betty had wanted a yellow and white pattern throughout the wedding but she hadn't argued. It wasn't her wedding after all.

She wondered what Steve looked like. He had yet to see her dress and she had yet to see his tux. She prayed that Tony wouldn't put him in something horrendous and convince him that "that's what people wear nowadays". She grimaced at the thought.

Suddenly the doors were opening...

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**A/N. So yeah. Hope that got you interested and the oneshot requested from my 200th reviewer will be up soon FYI. It takes place during Sitting At A Coffee Shop With Captain America and features Pepper and Tania and a bit of angst. I won't be telling you when it's posted via update so if you want to read it you'll either have to follow me or keep refreshing my profile :P Good-bye to all my readers who decide they want to stop reading D: I will miss you! Okay I'm done now, bye :)**


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